Kinship
by Lalaith Quetzalli
Summary: -AU to Nightingale.- When hanging off the edge of the world, a change in Thor's choice: his father or his brother, brings a domino effect that will reverberate to the deepest corners of the universe. Nothing will ever be more important than family; not powers, not names, not war, not promises, not even blood… LokiNightingale, ThorJane. Begins at the end of Thor and goes from there.
1. Sanctuary

As should be obvious (though I've been remiss in pointing it out): nothing of Avengers belongs to me, it's all Marvel's and its creators (though Loki should be mine...)

Several warnings for this fic:

* This AU is the most different thus far from those I've written, the reasons will become obvious, if not in this chapter, by the second.

* There will be cameos here from two other fandoms: X-Men (movies) and Secret Circle (the books, mainly the first trilogy) you don't need to have watched or read those to understand what's going on, they're just minor characters that will contribute to a plotline.

* Characters from "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." will make an appearance, though some parts of the story will not be as it is in the show.

* The back-stories mentioned here are also important for the main story and will be included (except for those that don't fit time-wise) in their respective side-stories.

* Regardless of the timeline, "Thor 2" will not be relevant to this (though it will come up in other AUs as well as the actual sequel to the main fic.

* Whatever might have been said in movies and show after Avengers that doesn't fit with what was said beforehand in Nightingale is to be ignored in this verse (like the Aesir not being truly immortal, Darcy still being Jane's intern over a year after she should have been able to graduate, etc.)

*There will be changes in POV (mostly of women) as well as some scenes in 3rd POV.

That should be enough, if I think of anything else I will add it in the next update. Hope you'll enjoy the AU (it's the longest one yet).

* * *

Kinship

(Alternative Universe to _Nightingale_)

_By: Lalaith Quetzalli _

_When hanging off the edge of the world, a change in Thor's choice: his father or his brother, brings a domino effect that will reverberate to the deepest corners of the universe. Nothing will ever be more important than family; not powers, not names, not war, not promises, not even blood…_

**Sanctuary**

His choice changed my world… and I wouldn't have it any other way.

"_Today Father announced who will be taking over as King of Asgard while he goes into the Odinsleep." Loki informed me. _

_I kept my silence, knowing it was better to give him time to talk and just listen. Maybe that was all he truly needed, for someone to listen to him. And if not, when the moment came, I would try to do what was needed. _

"_It was Thor, obviously." Loki went on, his voice turning mocking briefly. "Thor Odinson, the man who can do no wrong…as if." He snorted, before talking normally once again. The Councilors, and other assorted high members of the Asgardian Court seemed to be of the belief that there was never any other option. Even the possibility of me ever ascending to the throne never so much as crossed their minds!" _

"_I thought you once told me you disliked the idea of being King…" I commented softly. "Something about considering it too boring…" _

"_Of course I do! All the pomp and circumstance…" He shook his head. "Not to my liking, I'm more the 'working behind the scene' kind of guy. Still, what angers me is that they never so much as considered the possibility that I might be as deserving of the throne as Thor. It's like… like I don't exist, maybe they think I shouldn't." _

"_Those who believe that are ignorant beings and you shouldn't bother with them Loki. If they cannot see your worth it's their loss. They're idiots." _

"_Wonder what they would think if a Midgardian ever told them that to their face." He snorted. _

"_I would if I could, not that I think it would mean much to them." _

"_No, it wouldn't. And that's yet another area where their ignorance shows. And in this case, not only the councilors', but also Thor's and Father's…" _

_We got off topic for a while, talking about the Asgardians' disregard for us Midgardians and our world, their apparent disapproval for any kind of connection between our worlds (which gave me an idea of just how hard a time we were gonna have when our connection was discovered; because I knew better than to think we could hide forever). _

_I tried to be patient, I really did, but eventually I had to push us both back to the original topic: Thor's upcoming coronation … and while I knew Loki never expected to get the throne, I still couldn't help but feel frustrated for him. He would be such an amazing King… I was sure of it. While he might not appear to be the 'nicest' person, he was kind, honorable, fair, he knew the political game like no one else I had ever known and had both the courage and the wits to do whatever it took to protect those he saw as deserving of his care and protection. _

"_So…if Thor being the heir isn't what's truly bothering you, what is it?" I tried to be kind even as I pushed for us to return to the main topic of conversation. _

"_First of all. I don't think Thor is ready. He's reckless, arrogant, temperamental, prone to acting before thinking. Who knows what kind of disasters he might bring upon Asgard if he becomes King as he is right now!" _

"_Have you shared your thoughts with your father, or Thor himself?" _

"_Ha!" Loki snorted. "Thor has little respect of my opinions whenever I'm not getting him and his friends out of mortal danger, even after I've just done so…" He shook his head. "And Father… if he trusted me in any way we wouldn't be in this situation, would we?" _

_I didn't say a word, waiting for him to go on, it seemed like we were finally reaching the crux of the matter, at last… _

"_I have no wish to be King, you know that. I always thought that one day Thor would ascend to the throne and I would be standing there to support him…maybe I could be his Head Advisor, or something like that." _

"_The position would fit you well." I agreed. _

"_Yeah well…seeing as he practically never listens to me, I'm not so sure…but that's not the point. When we were children, Father always said Thor and I were princes, both with equal right to the throne, both born to be Kings…why then does he disregard me so easily when the time comes for him to actually choose someone to take the throne? I don't wish to be King, I wish for my father to believe that I could do it if I had to!" _

_That, there it was, the core of everything: Loki wanted Odin to believe in him… _

"_Oh Loki…" I whispered, taking his hands in mine, trying to be as comforting as I could. "I'm no Asgardian, no one important who could possibly say anything to the Allfather to convince him to open his eyes and see what he's missing. He's blind if he doesn't realize the value you have. You might not be a warrior like Thor is, but your magic, and your cleverness, and your heart…you are a wonderful man Loki, and I truly believe your father will see it one day. Just give him time. A day will come when you will get the chance to prove yourself and your father will realize how amazing his second son is…" _

_Angels and Spirits above! If I had only know what would be happening in the following days, the way my words would be twisted and torn in the face of an impossible situation, a tragedy of immeasurable proportions…_

**xXx**

A week later, things got very strange. My aunt and I were supposed to go buy my dress for the graduation ceremony, but right as I was getting ready for the outing I began feeling strangely dizzy. I told her, she claimed I looked flushed and worried I might be developing a fever, so she insisted I drink a lot of liquids and rested for the rest of the day.

It was a good thing that shortly after that some friend of hers from the embroidery club called her; she apparently was having a bazaar to get money to pay her recently deceased husband's debts. Aunt Kathryn of course immediately offered to help (well, after I convinced her that I wasn't dying and that if I truly ended up with a fever I would take some medicine and call a doctor). In any case, something told me what I was feeling wasn't really a fever, even if I had no idea what it could be if not that…

I was feeling very worn out, yet at the same time too wired up to sleep; which is why I ended up pacing from side to side in my own bedroom. I even took a long bath to try and relax; the effects didn't last. In the end I decided to drink some chocolate milk, or maybe some tea (I had read some teas helped people sleep better)… so I put a robe over my nightclothes (just in case) and made for the kitchen.

I had just finished preparing some lemongrass tea and was fishing the pot of honey out the pantry when suddenly a flash of light from the corner of my eye caught my full attention. There was someone outside, in the garden, my back-garden… I lost my breath and my heart skipped a bit, it was just for a second, but still enough for me to know, instinctively, what that flash of light had been about… Loki!

I rushed outside, knowing instinctively where to go. Soon enough I saw green, too smooth to be that of the grass or the leaves of any flower or tree: it was Loki's cloak. I was just about to reach him when a lot of red caught my attention: Loki wasn't alone. Beside him was standing a figure about his same height, inches more, inches less, but nothing like him: the other figure was broad-shouldered, blonde, blue eyed and dressed in red and steel.

"Loki…?" I asked softly, unsure about the stranger.

"Nightingale…" I heard my Maverick call softly.

The blonde reacted to Loki calling my name; there was a strange expression in his eyes as he looked at me, as if he were searching me or something.

"I'm here Loki." I told him softly. "Are you alright?" I pressed a hand against my chest, at the phantom pain I still felt. "What happened?"

He didn't answer, and as he looked at me with tired eyes I could tell that something was really wrong. I had never seen Loki so completely exhausted… I couldn't see any physical wounds on him, yet I knew he was in pain…

"I trust you." He whispered softly after what seemed like forever.

"As I trust you." I replied with no hesitation.

A second later his jade green eyes seemed to roll into the back of his head as he collapsed. It was a good thing the blonde was there, as he held my Maverick, stopping him from falling onto the ground or something worse. I still couldn't help but extend my arms abruptly, letting my robe fall slightly open, caring little about the unknown man seeing my night clothes; I was just too worried about my best friend…

"I trust Loki…" I made a decision abruptly. "Which, I guess, means that for the time being I shall trust you as well." I took a deep breath before turning around. "Follow me."

We took no time getting to my bedroom. There I pulled back my quilt and sheets before signaling for the blonde to lay down Loki on them. The jostling was enough to awaken the sorcerer, something I took advantage of as I dug deep into one of my drawers, getting a small case with half a dozen vials. I could sense the blue eyes fixed straight on me, they were making me somewhat uncomfortable.

"You know, I trust Loki a lot, with my own life, and the lives of those I care for." I said as flippantly as I could. "Which is the only reason I let you into my house, considering I haven't the slightest idea who you are…" I shook my head. "Scratch that, I have an idea, but still. In the end, the only reason I let you inside was because you were with Loki…"

"You really trust him…" He whispered, a note of awe in his voice.

"I believe I already stated that." I deadpanned.

"My name is Thor, I am Loki's brother." He said what I'd been at least half-expecting. "Are you… are you really the Lady Nightingale?"

I couldn't help the smile, so Loki had talked about me in Asgard! Still, Thor probably hadn't been expecting what he was seeing in that moment: a mortal, human, young, small…

Finally I managed to take a hold of one of the bigger vials, uncorking it and pushing it to Loki's cold lips, rubbing his throat to encourage him to drink it.

"Nightingale…?" He croaked.

"Drink this." I insisted, pouring the first drops into his half open mouth.

"I shouldn't…" He began, trying to turn his head, but not being able to.

"Please, drink it, for me." I insisted. "I cannot see any external injuries but I'm sure there must be at least some internal ones. I need you to be alright, Loki. Please, for me."

Finally he allowed me to pour the rest of the vial of elixir into his mouth, slowly enough that he could swallow it without choking. Seconds afterwards he was falling asleep again, though he seemed a bit more relaxed than before.

"What is that?" Thor inquired, confused.

"Powdered stone diluted into the purest water found in this realm." I informed him as I put the vial away. "Stored in a vial spelled to be unbreakable, allow the powder to retain its properties until uncorked, and can only be uncorked by me." I made a pause as I ran a hand through Loki's raven hair. "Loki made the vials for me, in case of an emergency. There is one other of elixir as well as a few with just powder."

"Why the difference?" The blonde seemed honestly interested.

"The elixir is meant to be drunk, to be used for internal wounds." I explained. "The other vials have more powder, but can only be used for external wounds."

"You say Loki created this?" The Asgardian was still in awe.

"Yes." I smiled. "He was afraid something might happen to me when he wasn't around to help. It's why he gave those to me. I was only to use them in an emergency. I decided that this situation certainly applies."

After a few minutes I remembered the tea still in the kitchen and went to retrieve it. Along with it I also picked a number of pastries and sweets. Didn't know which Thor might prefer, or how much he might it, but I still had to be a good hostess. He didn't seem to be much of a fan of tea, but still accepted a cup, the pastries he liked more. It was a quiet meal, and as we ate both Thor and I kept turning to the bed, where Loki went on sleeping. I worried about him, even knowing I'd already done everything that could be done.

At least I didn't have to worry about my Aunt Kathryn arriving suddenly and finding the two quite imposing men in other-worldly clothes, inside my own bedroom. Apparently the bazaar had been a success, the embroidery group had gotten enough money to pay for the debts of my aunt's friend's deceased husband; still, the friend had insisted on preparing them something for dinner, and as they had finished late, they would all be spending the night. I would still have to think about how to either hide them or explain their presence to my aunt the following day… but at least it wasn't something I had to worry about right away, and not when I was already worried about Loki's own condition.

I'm not sure when I decided it, but at some point I climbed onto the bed, sitting near the top of it, back against the headboard, watching Loki sleep. Thor, meanwhile, remained on the comfortable one-place sofa he'd been on, watching us.

We were silent for a while as I remained just there; sitting against the headboard, rhythmically caressing my love's hair.

**xXx**

I don't know when exactly I fell asleep; but when I woke up I was curled up against Loki's side, my head on his neck, and I could feel a set of long fingers running through my locks.

"Maverick…?" I asked softly, not quite awake yet.

"I'm fine Nightingale." He assured me. "Perfectly."

As I finished waking up Loki helped me to sit up against the headboard again. Half-absently I began looking around, noticing Thor standing by my window, looking out. I did a double-take when I processed just how much light was coming in through the window… it was morning already! What's worse, it was late in the morning! Probably closer to noon even.

"Your Aunt Kathryn called." Loki informed, guessing where my line of thought was heading. "I faked your voice with some magic. She said her friend, a Ms. Kendrick or something would need some help with some legal things and a few of the friends were tagging along, either to help or just as moral support. So you were going to have to delay your dress-shopping for one more day… I also reassured her I wasn't sick anymore, that it had just been a false alarm…" his brows narrowed. "What was she talking about Nightingale?"

"Regarding the dress?" I pretended not to know what he was really asking. "As you know, my graduation is coming up and I need a dress."

"I meant the detail of you being sick… and you knew I did." He insisted.

"Well, just yesterday it seemed like I might be coming up with something." I tried to explain. "I was dizzy and tired all day, had already been feeling off for most of the week; then, in the afternoon I felt feverish nauseous and nearly had a fainting spell… Aunt Kathryn wasn't actually here for that last part, thankfully. Else she might have insisted I go see a doctor."

"Shouldn't you have done that anyway?" Loki insisted.

"I suspected the problem wasn't with me, per say." I replied, hesitantly.

I chose to leave the rest of the sentence hanging and yet, I'd already said enough. Loki could guess what I hadn't said.

"You were sensing me." Loki blurted out in shock.

"What?!" Thor seemed just as surprised as his brother.

"Somewhat, I still don't know what any of it meant, except that it wasn't good." I answered as honestly as I could. "The way you arrived last night proved that too."

"Oh Nightingale…" He was the picture of remorse, kneeling on the floor beside the bed where I was still sitting. "I'm so…"

"Don't apologize." I cut him off, a finger over his lips. "Whatever the reason for what happened yesterday, I do not regret it." I smiled at him. "You're here now. Safe and sound… nothing could ever be more important than that…"

I wouldn't know what exactly was going through my mind in those moments, but one second I was caressing Loki's cheek tenderly, doing my best to show I care, while still keeping all the love I'd recently discovered I held for him, tightly bound in a deep corner of my heart; far away from where it might be seen… judged… rejected… A second later Loki was gone, having moved too fast for my human eyes to follow until he was on the other side of the room, pacing the length of it, between the window Thor was still standing by and the closed door. When I turned my eyes to the God of Thunder, trying to find an explanation for Loki's sudden mood change, he seemed just as confused as I, except for a hint of… something hidden in the corner of a shadow that darkened his blue eyes. I knew, instinctively, that whatever was going on wasn't any good.

"Loki…?" I asked.

"Lies…" He hissed sharply, still not looking up. "It's all lies. My life, my so-called family, my race, even myself! All lies! And isn't that just perfect? Since I'm the God of Lies…"

I still had no idea what was going on, so I turned to Thor, hoping he would be able to give me some sort of explanation; instead, all I could see in his expression was pain.

"All lies, nothing but lies." Loki went on with his rant. "My whole life, myself, everyone in it, it's all lies. Nothing is true, nothing is real…no one…"

That was more than I could stand. I still hadn't the slightest idea of what was going on, and Thor wasn't being any help on that front; but I couldn't just watch the man I loved being in pain and not try at least to do something about it. I could feel phantom pains inside my own heart in that moment, which I knew were caused by some sort of connection I had to him, maybe because of the deamarkonian, maybe for some other reason; it was still bad, and I couldn't stand it without trying to do something to change it. So, with that in mind, I got out of bed, half-absently pulling my dressing robe tighter over my nightclothes before walking to him. Thor was so lost in his own grief he didn't try to stop me, I wonder if he even saw me; I just kept walking until I was standing right in front of my Maverick, and when he kept ignoring me I pressed the tips of my fingers against his chin, enough to make him look at me.

"I'm right here Loki…" I told him softly yet seriously. "I'm not a lie."

"Ah…but you are." He insisted. "Because all you know about me, all you believe… is nothing but lies! So you are a lie yourself!"

I wanted to turn to look at Thor again, demand he explain to me what the hell was going on; but something inside of me told me that if I turned my eyes away from Loki he might not be there anymore when I turned back… the situation in that moment, whatever the cause of it might be, was so precarious… it was like standing on the edge of a cliff with a rocky wall pressing at my back and rocks sliding on the sides, no place to go, nothing to stay where I was or just fall…

"You have never lied to me." I said the first thing I could think of, hoping it would help. "Which means that if all I know are lies, they are lies you yourself believed when you told them to me. Which therefore means it isn't your fault…" I shook my head, knowing it wouldn't be enough, so I took a different approach. "Who lied to you? About what?"

"Everyone, about everything." He answered simply, emotionlessly.

"Loki!" I insisted. "You can trust me, you know."

"When you know you'll just reject me, like everyone else…I am unworthy…"

As he spoke he folded in on himself, until he was on his knees in front of me and doubled over. The whole posture made him look so small, so defeated… it was wrong! It made me cringe deep inside, and I knew I had to do something to change things, and soon!

"No you are not!" I almost screamed at him, holding his face between both of my hands. "I don't care what anyone else may have said. You are not unworthy, you never will be. I could kill whoever made you believe such a thing…" I saw a hint of blonde hair from the corner of my eye and remembered something else. "And Thor doesn't think that either! He's here with you! You brought him here, to my home. You always said I had to be a secret from all Asgardians, for my own safety; but you brought him here now. He came into my house because he trusts you, and I let him in because I trust you. So, you see? We trust you Loki, we believe in you, that you are worthy… and no monster!"

He chuckled, but it wasn't a happy laugh, there was a derisiveness in the sound, a self-loathing I just couldn't stand. So I decided to throw caution to the wind, ignore the promise I'd made to myself of keeping my love under wraps so as not to risk rejection; instead I dropped to my knees in front of Loki, took careful hold of his face with both hands, pulled him to me and kissed him, fully, on the mouth… imprinting in that one kiss all the love I held in my heart.

For a handful of seconds the contact lasted, it seemed like things might go well… then he pulled back from me, jumping to his feet abruptly and practically stalking to the other side of the room. I couldn't help the deep hurt that pierced inside me.

"No!" He practically yelled at me. "You cannot do this!"

"I can!" I yelled right back at him as I rushed to my own feet. "I love you Loki!"

I was quickly losing what little control I may have left over my emotions and I didn't care; I cared about nothing but Loki in that moment.

"You cannot love me!" He screamed. "No one can love me!"

"I can! I do!" I insisted as strongly as I could.

"You cannot love a monster!"

"You are not a monster Loki! I don't care who said that! You aren't!"

"You are not a monster brother…" It took hearing Thor speak behind me to remember he was in the room as well.

"I am not your brother Thor! But I am a monster…" He stopped screaming, his voice turning quiet, cold and hard… "I am a monster…No one told me that, I discovered it on my own…"

"I refuse to believe that." I insisted.

More aware of Thor by that point, I could tell he was anxious, like he wanted to say something but didn't dare; like he was afraid that any word coming from his mouth might make the situation worse… maybe it was something that had already happened, when they were still in Asgard. Maybe it was the reason for the shadow in Thor's eyes…

"I'm not an Aesir…" Loki whispered, as if he were confessing to a heinous crime. "I never was… not really, I…"

He didn't say anymore, but he didn't need to, he just changed. Between one second and the next his skin was no longer the healthy light-peach color that I'd come to associate with him… instead it was dark, cobalt blue; It looked hard, and cold, and was decorated by an array of tattoo-like dark markings; and his eyes… they changed from the light, bright emerald green I knew and loved to a dark red, like old, dried blood…

My breath caught in my throat, I could almost swear my heart stopped beating for a second but I refused to back down, look down, to so much as flinch. His looks were, indeed, very shocking, but I was not afraid of him. How could I? I could still see Loki, the Loki I knew, had known for the past eight years, in the shape of his eyes, in the shape of his face; and most importantly, I could still feel him inside me in ways I couldn't fully explain and which seemed to go beyond the deamarkonian locked onto our wrists. He was the same Loki who had offered all of him to save the life of a sick fourteen-year-old, asking for nothing in exchange… he was the same Loki I had realized not even two weeks prior that I loved with all I was…

Slowly, so as not to startle him even more, I crossed the room, standing in front of him, I raised my hand, about to touch his face when we were interrupted…

"No! Don't!" It was Thor. "His touch…"

I had no idea why he didn't want me to touch Loki, but I ignored him anyway, allowing my hand to lay on his cheek. I could feel the hard, almost biting cold beneath my fingertips, like holding ice in my hands… but I ignored it, refusing to move my hand away.

"…burns…" Thor finished, though he sounded unsure.

I could understand his surprise; even I didn't know what he meant about burning. Loki felt pretty cold, but not enough to actually cause frostbite, at least not to me. Also, I could almost swear that the longer I held on touching him, the more I grew used to it, the less I noticed it.

"You're not burning…" Thor's voice sounded half like a question.

I didn't actually have an answer, I barely understood that he'd expected Loki's skin to burn me for some reason… still, I didn't care at that point. I only cared about Loki.

"You're still the same." I told him with complete confidence.

He snorted, turning away from me, though I never stopped touching him.

"Yes, you're cold, and blue… but you're still you." I tried to explain, at the same time I remembered his earlier rants, about lies. "You're still Loki, the same Loki I've known for years. That is not a lie. And I'm still here, not a lie either."

We remained in that same position for a while longer, I felt a bit tired, holding myself up, my hand high to be able to reach him; but I refused to let go until I was sure he'd gotten the message. I was wondering what else I could do, or say, to convince him of my honesty when I remembered something; I couldn't help it, I laughed.

"Are you laughing at me?" He demanded, turning to look back at me.

"No." I assured him immediately. "It's more like laughing at myself…" I snickered a bit more. "I just remembered something I said…eight years ago."

He looked at me a few seconds more, and I could see a change in his eyes, so small, yet it made obvious he remembered it too. I had been eleven, on our second meeting. I had revealed to him I knew who he was, told him he didn't have to hide with me, that he could show me his true self… then I asked him, before he changed, if he was blue, or red, or green, and something about appendages…I only wanted to know beforehand so I knew what to expect…

"Seems I am blue after all…" Loki drawled.

"And just like I told you back then. I don't care. You are still you."

Before he could make any more objections and with considerable more difficulty than the first time since he'd since gotten on his feet and had more than a foot on me, I wound my arms around his neck, stood on my toes, and pressed my mouth hard against his. His lips were as cold as the rest of his body, and yet somehow, the kiss still heat me up inside.

For the first couple of seconds it was nothing more than a touch, no reaction on his part; until, as if a switch had been flipped, he began moving as well; suddenly my lips were molding against his, as my mouth surrendered to his.

I'm not quite sure when Thor left the room, or how he managed to achieve such a thing when Loki and I stood between him and the door; he still managed.

After a while I gathered my wits enough to pull away from Loki, only then noticing that at some point during our cuddling/makeout session he'd changed back into his Aesir form.

"You don't have to hide from me…" I whispered, caressing his pink face like I'd caressed his blue one. "Aesir or Jotun, or whatever else you might be. I accept you…"

"This form is actually easier for me." He admitted, looking at himself. "Probably because I've used it for so long…"

"As long as you know you do not need to be anyone for me, I'll always love you for you, whatever shape you take."

"You truly are one of a kind, my Nightingale…"

"Yours." I agreed wholeheartedly.

Finally I pulled away from him fully. Taking a quick shower before dressing in a simple long white skirt and an off-the-shoulder ¾ sleeved peasant blouse in varying shades of lilac; white sandals finished my attire.

It was almost noon already but I didn't care. I made some brunch: pancakes, sliced fruit and coffee in fact (chocolate-milk for me). Thor commented how different the food was to what he'd eaten while with Jane and her friends; when he told me they'd had omelets I had forced to admit I couldn't cook an egg to save my life, in fact, I could cook very little. Something Loki would make fun of me for every so often.

After we were finished with brunch we went back to my bedroom.

"I want to know, exactly, what happened this last week." I told the two Asgardians straight out.

"We could give you each our own accounts…" Thor began.

"That's not what I'm talking about." I stated, my eyes fixed straight on Loki.

"Are you sure, my Nightingale?" My love asked quietly.

It took Thor a couple of seconds to be on the same page at us; when he was, he gaped.

"That's not possible!" He hissed. "Loki, you cannot mind-meld with a human, it's too dangerous. We don't know what could happen to the Lady Nightingale! She will be hurt!"

"You mean, like I would get burnt for touching Loki as a Jotun?" I arched a brow challengingly. "I know you have certain beliefs Thor, and they might even be right for the most part, but I exist outside of the average…" I willed him to see the deamarkonian. "This bracelet is one half of a deamarkonian. Loki has the other half." I made a pause as I decided on how to best explain things. "I am sick Thor, have been almost my whole life. A sickness that cannot be cured, not by any known force here in Midgard, possibly not by any force in any realm… it is also a sickness that should have killed me five years ago. The only reason I'm still alive is because of the deamarkonian. These bracelets are spelled so I can take some of Loki's energy, not enough for him to truly affect it, but enough to fight off the worst effects of the Cancer, enough for me to live like a normal person even though the sickness still runs through my veins…"

The blonde Asgardian could only look at Loki with what almost seemed like reverence.

"I have never heard of an object capable of such miracle." He declared.

"That's because they are a unique set." I clarified. "They did not exist until Loki created them… five years ago…"

I didn't believe the God of Thunder to be stupid; he could read between the lines, the implications I was making… I could see it in the way the reverence in his look grew.

"In any case, we're already pretty much an impossibility." I went on. "Me being alive, the connection we share, everything… connecting our minds would be the least of it in the grand scheme of things, really."

It looked like Thor might still have his reservations, but he couldn't deny my statement, so in the end he didn't say a thing; allowing Loki and I to make the decision ourselves.

"I don't like this, my Nightingale." Loki said quietly. "But I know you're much too stubborn and unlikely to let this matter drop…"

"I learnt from the best." I smirked mischievously at him.

Really, he had to have known there would be consequences for having first met when I was young. His presence, his friendship had influenced me a great deal, and not just in my school and professional choices… a lot of what I was, I owed to him…

I automatically closed my eyes as I felt long, strong fingers brushing first my forehead, pushing away a rebellious bang of auburn hair, then pressing, two fingers in the very middle of my forehead; I didn't pay attention to whatever he might be saying, in a second I was lost to an ocean of images, voices, sensations…

I saw Loki and Thor standing side by side, discussing Thor's upcoming coronation; Loki standing a step from the top of the dais in the Throne Room, watching as Thor knelt at the bottom of the steps, while Odin stood imposingly before his huge throne; Loki and Thor behind Odin after discovering a pair of dead Aesir guards and the remains of the Jotun that had tried to steal the Casket of Ancient Winters; the brothers, Sif and the Warriors Three in Jotunheim, battling Laufey and his Jotun, two of them being badly injured before Odin arrived and got them out; Loki's skin turning blue at contact with one of the Jotun… Thor being exiled to Earth for his actions; Loki screaming at his… the Allfather for his lies; Odin falling into the Odinsleep, no one knowing when or even if he would wake up; Loki being left with no choice but to step up as the new King of Asgard; the obvious disbelief and downright distrust from everyone around; Frigg telling her son that Odin never did things without a reason; Loki going to look for Thor, only to discover his brother wasn't truly trying to get back to Asgard; Heimdall's questioning, the Warriors' betrayal, the Destroyer, the fight in New Mexico, the fight against Laufey, the fight between the two brothers on the Bifrost, the breaking of the Rainbow Bridge…

There were so many feelings, all more intense than the last one, driving me to the point where, as the last scene began running inside my mind I could barely keep myself from going insane trying to step in and do something to change the insanity taking place. Except, even if I wanted to, there was nothing I could possibly do. Things had already happened, both the good and the bad, and the only consolation was knowing that both Loki and Thor had somehow managed to survive the whole mess, knowing consciously that they were in that moment in my bedroom, where I was as well, even as I had to see them hanging off the edge of the Rainbow bridge…

_Loki was suspended in midair, his green cape swaying with the same rhythm as the rest of his body; his right hand still holding onto Gugnir, the Asgardian Royal Staff, which had been handed to him along with the title of King. Thor was upside down, off the bridge as well, holding tightly onto the staff, knowing it was the only thing stopping his brother from falling straight into the abyss. And finally, the last piece of the puzzle was Odin himself, just awoken, standing on the very edge of the bridge, holding onto his oldest son's ankle. _

"_I could have done it father!" Loki screamed. "I could have done it! For you! For all of us!" _

_I could feel the despair, the way he was standing in the edge of a breakdown, as if they were my own feelings; and at the same time, as an spectator, I could also feel a mix of horror, grief and my own wave of despair. _

_And then, the last hit… _

"_No Loki…" Odin shook his head in refusal. _

_Seeing Loki right there, his very life hanging by a thread (or a staff), the absolute destruction that was so horribly clear in his expression the moment his father, not by blood but his father still, and the only Loki had ever known… the moment Odin refused him the one thing Loki had always wanted… it was too much. His own father did not believe in him… it was more than Loki could take… than anyone could take… _

_Abruptly, it was as if everything were in slow motion. Loki's hold on gugnir slackened, and he took a deep breath, preparing to let go, he'd already given up… and yet, Thor noticed, and that, somehow, changed everything. _

_Whether Thor actually screamed the denial that could be seen in his expression or not, I couldn't hear it; still, I couldn't not be aware of his own actions, and their consequences: as Thor moved his free leg, delivering a sharp kick to his father's arm, hard enough that Odin couldn't help but release Thor's ankle… _

_By the time Loki let go of the staff, Thor was falling too. The blonde took hold of his brother's arm before the two could be separated. _

_For a handful of painfully long seconds Loki could only watch his brother, holding onto him as the two fell through the stars, wondering what could have ever made Thor do something so foolish, so suicidal. And then Loki decided he couldn't allow that. No matter how tired he was, how hurt, how emotionally broken… the green-eyed watched the blue-eyed and couldn't help but want to try something, anything… _

_*I need a place…* Loki was practically screaming mentally as he fought to focus any and all power he might have left. *A safe place… a Sanctuary… Nightingale…* _

_The next second the two were gone._

I gasped loudly, limbs flaying wildly as I returned to consciousness. An instant later there were arms around me. I recognized the touch instinctively, going limp in Loki's arms.

"Lady Nightingale!" Thor cried out, obviously shocked and maybe concerned about me.

"She's alright." Loki assured him as he ran a hand soothingly through my hair. "I am just fine my Nightingale, everything's alright…"

"You trust me so much…" I gasped, pressing my face against his neck.

Two things, in everything I saw, moved me the most: first, Thor's choice of his brother over his father, being willing to risk death or worse to stay with Loki; then Loki's trust in me, to the point where even in the worst danger his mind went to me, in that moment he had used up to the last sliver of magic and energy left to get himself and his brother to the one place he trusted, he saw as a sanctuary: my home.

"Of course I trust you my Nightingale." He assured me, kissing my hair. "Completely and absolutely. Just like I know you trust me." He shook his head sadly. "I should have never made you watch any of that…"

"You didn't make me do anything Loki…" I reminded him calmly. "I told to show me, and you did. Thank you." I turned to Thor then. "And thank you, for standing by him when I couldn't…"

"I only did what any good brother should." Thor told me with a small smile before turning to Loki. "Because no matter what you say, what blood might run in our veins, you're still my brother Loki, and you always will be."

"The Blood of the Covenant runs thicker than the water of the womb." I quoted with a knowing smile, looking at each of them in turn.

"You just love to use your books against me, don't you?" Loki asked with a smirk.

"It's a gift." I quipped.

"Or an annoyance." Loki countered.

We dissolved into laughter afterwards. It was an old argument between the two of us; one we enjoyed reenacting every so often.

"Are you sure you're alright, Lady Nightingale?" Thor inquired softly. "For a mortal to see into an Aesir's mind…"

"I won't say it was easy, but I'm alright Thor, I promise." I assure him.

And really, it was in no way easy, though not for the reason he might be imagining. The mind meld wasn't the problem, what I had seen and felt, that was harder for me to deal with.

"I still don't understand why you would want to do something as risky as that." Thor insisted. "Even if you're already connected somehow, with those bracelets… it's still dangerous…"

"Because I believe it helps me understand things better, understand Loki better…" I turned to look straight into bright green eyes as I went on. "It makes me closer to you…"

For a few seconds no one said a thing, and during that time I couldn't help but remember everything that I'd seen:

"Everything went so wrong, didn't it?" I blurted out the question without thinking.

My question called Thor's attention and I realized right then that while he'd been there, he didn't truly understand Loki's actions, his reasoning…

"So very, very wrong." Loki agreed with a sigh, he seemed to forget all about Thor's presence as he began talking. "It was supposed to be so simple… The Jotun would interrupt the coronation ceremony. I was quite sure of how Thor would react… knew he would be all for a counterattack, something f… Odin wouldn't want. I knew Thor would end up going himself, with just the Warriors 3 and Lady Sif with him, so I made sure I was with him when he made his decision. I made sure someone knew what was going on and then… the first thing went wrong…"

"Heimdall." I nodded, having noticed the detail as well.

"He's supposed to serve his King! The Allfather had given orders that no one was to go to Jotunheim! Why then didn't he at least try to stop us, or even stall?! If he had done as he was supposed to we would have never gotten to Jotunheim! Then, once there, of course Thor would be hotheaded and want to fight, and of course he would ignore my attempts at defusing the situation, rising to the idiotic bait from the Jotun…"

"And then you discovered your past…" I whispered compassionately.

"I was so confused…" Loki admitted. "Volstagg had just been burnt on touch by another Jotun and yelled at us to avoid touch. Right then, the one I was fighting grabbed my arm. I was bracing myself for the pain when I noticed it wasn't coming…I could feel the cold but it didn't burn… and then I saw my skin turning blue…"

"You thought you were cursed."

"I did. Odin arrived, got us all back to Asgard. I was so out of it I didn't fully understand what was going on until it was too late to stop it and Thor had been exiled…" He shook his head. "I went looking for the Casket, I needed to know what had happened. Odin must have seen what I was doing, he confronted me…"

I had to bite my tongue not to say exactly what I thought about the 'Allfather'. While a part of me understood why he wouldn't tell Loki about being adopted, or being Jotun… that didn't justify all the years of neglect, all the times he put Thor over Loki, leaving my love to believe he wasn't good enough, that he wasn't worthy…

"My Nightingale… Shh… it's alright, I'm alright, I promise you." He picked on my emotions through the deamarkonian.

"It just makes me so mad… Odin is supposed to be your father Loki. I don't care if you were adopted or whatever. In fact, I think that just might make things worse! When you adopt a child, you're choosing to become their parent, it's not an accident, not something that happened by chance, it's a decision. He chose to take you, not just out of Jotunheim, he chose to become your father. And then he was a crappy one! He should have noticed when you felt less than Thor, should have understood that your magic wasn't just mere tricks, valued you, your gifts…"

"You are the only one to see things that way…"

"Well I shouldn't! They're your family, it should all be quite evident to them! If I ever get the chance to tell them exactly what I think about each of them…"

"They're not the only ones who made mistakes. I've had my share… what happened three weeks ago… I wronged my brother in so many ways…"

"I am sorry brother…"

By that point even I had forgotten that Thor was there. Loki paled as we both turned to look at the blonde, not quite believing that we'd just said all those things in front of him.

"I am deeply sorry that I wasn't there when you truly needed me, it seems I've failed you many a time in the past…" Thor mumbled sadly before shaking his head once and straightening up, resolute expression on his face. "I promise that's a mistake I won't make again, never. From this day on brother, I will always be here for you."

Loki just cocked his head to a side; he could obviously see the honesty in Thor's voice and expression, for he nodded.

"We will always be here for each other, brother…" Loki nodded.

The smile on his face was quite possibly the smallest I had ever seen, but also, perhaps, one of the most sincere…

"Will you tell me what really happened the last few days?" Thor asked quietly. "Sif and the Warriors Three told me some things when they met with me in Puente Antiguo… which now I'm beginning to realize might not have been exactly right…"

"They weren't lying either." Loki pointed out.

"They didn't understand you." Thor insisted. "I want to. Let me at least try…"

Loki didn't seem to fully like the idea, but was willing to at least give Thor a chance. I think that Thor having chosen him when they were hanging off the edge of the Bifrost was making Loki tolerant, at least until Thor either turned against Loki for good, or proved to truly be on his side. I hoped it would be the later…

"Odin exiled you, Thor; and I need you to understand one thing: there was no way I could bring you back." Loki stated very carefully. "When we met in that mirrored room the humans had built, you asked me to let you return h… to Asgard; but there was nothing I could do. Even if I had just been made King. It wouldn't be right for my first royal order to be one that went against the last one the Allfather made. That, and if I had brought you back, it would be like saying I couldn't handle the throne on my own… I already had a hard time considering that none of the Advisors had any trust in me whatsoever, and Mother was too worried over her husband to help. Also, even if I'd ignored all that and brought you with me back to Asgard, that wouldn't have given you back your powers, for that you needed to do things as your father intended…"

"So you were left as a new King, distrusted and with no back up." Thor winced after saying that. "I am sorry brother…"

"Doesn't make a difference now, though the sentiment is appreciated." Loki declared with a small shrug. "I knew I needed your help. But, like I said, I couldn't just bring you back, it just wasn't possible. We both know the Council would have jumped at any excuse they could find to declare me unfit to rule… however, if you regained your powers, if you regained the Allfather's favor and were able to return to Asgard on your own…"

"He would be worthy." I understood the entirety of the intentions and implications before Thor did. "And if he stood behind your appointment to the throne, then no one else would be able to stand against the two of you together."

"Exactly." Loki agreed, most of his attention still on his brother. "So I went to see you, Thor, to assess on your progress… there was none." He let out a frustrated breath, running a hand through his dark hair. "You hadn't managed anything except to annoy a number of Midgardians and call the attention of that female scientist… Lady Jane, I believe was his name. I didn't have time! I needed you!" He shook his head. "I decided you needed to be pressured so you would wake up and do the things you were supposed to. So I went and told you that your father was dead, and that mother didn't want to see you. It didn't work. Instead of going into action, you became depressed! And then… that bunch of idiots. Your friends… They didn't understand!" He sneered. "Either that or they just chose to ignore me. They went and disobeyed my direct orders of not going after you! And Heimdall aided them! How can I be a King if those who should be my most loyal subordinates are, in fact, the first ones to betray me?!"

"Oh brother…" Thor whispered.

As I embraced my love tightly, offering as much comfort as I could through that simple gesture; I could see the changes in the blonde Asgardian's expression, I would have bet he had a few choice words for his so-called friends…

"Things just went crazy after that." The Sorcerer stated with a sigh.

"You sent the Destroyer to Midgard…" Thor pointed out quietly.

"He did." I couldn't help but point out something I had noticed and wasn't sure she had. "And did you notice it didn't kill anyone? It didn't even go after the retreating townspeople!"

Thor actually seemed to stop to ponder that piece of information.

"I gave it specific instructions." Loki stated a bit stiffly. "It was to cause destruction, purely material of course, and delay your return; while I handled the problem with the Jotun." He signaled to Thor briefly. "The way I saw it, if you wanted to stop the destruction of the town where your new friends lived you would have to find a way to be worthy of your power as the God of Thunder once again. There was no other choice… At least that's what I thought until you went and pulled that stupid stunt…"

"Loki…" Thor began.

"You got yourself killed!" Loki cried out at the blonde. "You were dead! I killed you!"

"I am here brother…" The blonde said quietly.

"What if you weren't?" Loki hissed, his voice a mix of fury and horror. "What if not even the fact that you were finally worthy had been enough to bring you back?! Huh? You would have been dead! And it would have been my fault!" He shook his head in denial. "No matter how crazy things might get, how insane you might make me at times, if there's one thing I've never wanted it is for you to die Thor. If you believe nothing else that ever comes from my mouth, believe that, please. I do not want you to die! If you ever were to… and if it were to be my fault… I don't think I'd ever be able to take that…"

I did not say a word as I stepped away from Loki but Thor still seemed to get the idea as he stepped forward and embraced his brother, ignoring when he tried to get away, hugging him tightly for a full minute.

"I cannot tell you what I was thinking in that moment." Thor said quietly. "All I know for sure is that I wanted to protect Jane and her friends and I truly believed, despite whatever Sif and the others might have said, that you weren't evil, you weren't trying to kill me." He sighed. "Things might have gotten bad at some point, but it ended alright. I am alright brother, you need not blame yourself anymore."

The God of Thunder finished his statement with a kiss to Loki's brow before releasing him again to me. Loki didn't resist, I think he might have still been mostly trapped in the deep love and acceptance his brother was showing him. His own relief over those facts, I certainly could feel it through the bond.

"You were put in an impossible situation Loki." I told him quietly, caressing his hair softly. "I'm not saying you're blameless, but in any case, it's not all on you. Too much happened in too little time. You and Thor were both forced to make impossible decisions, brought about by the actions of others, the Allfather included; Heimdall's, Sif's and the Warriors Three's actions didn't help matters any. You had no one to support you in the way you should have. Even if things hadn't gotten as bad as they did, as a new King there should have been someone you could trust above everyone else, and there wasn't…"

"You weren't there." Loki said quietly, embracing me back.

"I wish I could have been." I nodded. "I don't know what, if anything, I could have done. But you can be sure I would have tried…"

"I know." He nodded, kissing my hair. "And that brings a warmth and joy to my heart like you cannot begin to imagine."

"I think I know…" I smiled at him, pressing a kiss to his neck.

And I did, for I could feel it too.

"I wasn't there for you either brother, but like I said, that is a mistake I won't be making ever again." Thor informed Loki with resolution. "I promise you."

"I believe you, brother." My love nodded.

And I could feel that he truly did believe that.

**xXx**

Of course, things just had to get harder before they could get better. I had ordered some Italian from my favorite restaurant in town. Thor, Loki and I were just about to begin eating, when we could all hear the front door opening.

"It's my aunt!" I cried out in shock.

I had completely forgotten all about her.

I was aware, from the corner of my eye, the moment Loki waved a hand, changing his Asgardian clothes for a simple forest-green long-sleeved button-up shirt with dark-gray jeans and dark leather boots, while Thor was left in a red plaid long-sleeved shirt with rolled up sleeves, light-washed jeans and brown boots. A black leather jacket and a brown gabardine one appeared across the back of a chair and what looked like a couple of suitcases too.

"I'm home darling, are you having dinner?" Aunt Kathryn called as she walked.

She found us in the kitchen, where I was standing by my own booth, in the nook we used for meals most of the time (the dining room was too big).

"Oh…" She stopped when seeing I wasn't alone. "I didn't know we were having visitors."

"It wasn't too planned, auntie." I admitted sheepishly.

Really, I hadn't the slightest idea of how to even begin to explain the presence of the two Asgardians to my aunt.

"We were always talking about getting together, but never actually did, until today." Loki explained as he got on his feet, using his most charming tone. "My brother insisted on coming when he knew I was going on a trip. My apologies for not giving prior warning…" He made a show of shaking his head as he added. "Oh! Where are my manners? I am Luka Hveðrungr. And the one over there is my brother Donar."

"I see… I am Kathryn Salani, Silbhé's aunt." Aunt Kathryn's eyes sparkled in an almost eerie manner for a second before she dropped the bombshell then. "I suppose you're the one to whom I owe mi niece's life."

Loki's was actually left speechless at that, as were Thor and I.

"There might be no logic behind it." Kathryn went on. "But I know very well that there are many things in this universe that exist beyond what most of us would consider logical. In a logical world a girl cannot be dying of blood cancer one day, only to wake up cured the next. They especially cannot continue living, five years after being declared as beyond-saving, as if they had, in fact, gone into remission, or even yet, completely healed!" She sighed. "I do not know what it was you did to save my niece. But I will forever be thankful to you for it."

I was still trying to think of some way to keep the secret, when Loki did the one thing I was least expecting: he revealed himself.

"I am Loki, of Asgard." He introduced himself honestly. "I am a Sorcerer. Nightingale… your niece is very dear to me, I couldn't let her die if I could do something about it."

"It is an honor." My aunt bowed to him respectfully. "And like I said before, I shall always be thankful for what you've done." She turned to Loki's brother. "I can assume you're Thor, then?"

"I am, my lady." The blonde smiled at her. "Thor Odinson, of Asgard, God of Thunder… and Loki's brother…"

"Two Asgardians, here on Earth…" My aunt commented contemplatively. "Something tells me there's quite the story behind that…"

There was, indeed; and it made for quite an interesting dinner conversation.

I will never know what made my aunt accept everything happening as if it were the most logical thing in the universe. As if two Asgardians, believed by the Ancient Norse to be gods, being in our home, having Italian with us, telling us how they'd fallen through space before using magic to teleport to our back-garden… as if it all were the most normal thing in the world. No, it wasn't logical at all, though I guess that where normal is concerned… it's all a matter of opinion.

**xXx**

It was two weeks before we did anything. Loki had claimed to be ready a week after his and Thor's arrival, but we insisted that we mostly rested one more week. While we weren't planning on needing magic, if things got delicate we weren't going to risk Loki, and he had been so weakened after the battle on the Bifrost and the emergency Shadow Walk… It was enough of a miracle they had made it out of the abyss at all!

In the end I offered to handle the matter of Jane myself. Loki had his doubts, insisting that if something went wrong he wouldn't be there to help me; Thor too had his doubts, though he insisted he did trust me to do what needed to be done. In the end, practicality won, I could get in and out of Puente Antiguo without calling too much attention onto myself, and even if I was discovered by someone I could easily claim I was just traveling around, enjoying my free time before my graduation ceremony (after which I was expected to get a job).

The plan worked really well: a plane from Portland to Albuquerque, a bus from there to Santa Fe; then hitching a ride with an architect who was among those hired by the government to work in the reconstruction of Puente Antiguo (the brothers probably wouldn't approve of my hitching a ride with a complete stranger, but I didn't have much of a choice, it was either the architect in his SUV or one of the trucks filled with workers –which they would disapprove of even more.-)

I developed a sort of tick, continuously fingering the half dozen white gold bangles around my left wrist. They were made of pure magic, meant for me to call on when needed, Loki's way of making sure that I would have the means to protect myself in case of an emergency. In the end, they weren't necessary. It was easy enough for me to find Dr. Jane Foster (using the memory of her Loki had planted in my mind). I was observant enough to see there were agents around, though none paid much attention to me. They didn't seem to notice me as more than some tourist; which was almost sad, I mean, they were supposed to be the best, the men and women standing guard, ready to protect our world… either knowing what I did made me more paranoid than I thought, or they just weren't observant enough.

In any case, I waited to approach Jane until she was sitting on the steps outside of the building where she was conducting her research. A lot of people had chosen to take their breaks right then, and the few agents around had dismissed me, like many others (maybe it was my short stature, simple clothes and touristy attitude).

Keeping my attitude aloof, and taking a sip from the bottled water I was carrying I sat down, a couple of steps below where Jane was sitting.

"Jane…?" I called, just loud enough for her to hear me.

"Yes." She nodded. "Who are you?"

I imagined she was looking at me, trying to remember where I might know her from, though I did not turn to look at her. What I did do, however, was pull out of my bag a small pocket-mirror, which allowed me to look her, and for her to look at me, somewhat. I even applied some lip-balm while I was at it. Puente Antiguo was hotter than I was used to, a lot, probably because of the dessert; I really wasn't liking that much heat.

"You do not know me." I clarified. "And one might say I don't actually know you… I am here as a personal favor to a mutual friend." I smiled. "Donar wanted to come, but it's a bit hard to get plane tickets when you don't have an identity in this realm…"

I could see she was about to cry out and raised a hand in a discreet signal for her to keep quiet.

"I really don't think it's a good idea to call the attention of our gentlemen-friends on the roof across the street." I told her quietly. "I would much rather my presence here go unnoticed, at least as much as possible considering the circumstances."

"Thor is back." She wanted me to confirm. "Why isn't he here?"

"It's complicated." I told her. "Not a story we can get into right now. Suffice it to say that he's alright. He wanted to come, but I convince him to let me do this." I pulled an envelope out of my bag, placing it by her feet. "Inside that envelope is a bus ticket to a small town just across the state border and into Colorado, then another to Denver where, if all goes well, I will meet you to take a plane to where you will be able to meet Thor."

"Why should I trust you?" Jane asked me.

I was glad that she was doubtful, she was looking after herself; even if her distrust meant I had to work harder to convince her. In the end it meant she had more chance of surviving the mess that was to be all our lives. She might not know it yet, and the brothers might not have said much about it, but they were in Midgard, when Asgard believed them either lost or dead; Loki had refused to use the Shadow Paths to return to the Realm Eternal, claiming a great danger lurked in the abyss and could reach them through there if they weren't careful, it was a danger too great for him to be willing to take the risk at the time. Then there was the fact that Loki, most likely, was still considered as 'persona non-grata' by Asgard (to say the least). So yes, our lives would definitely be in turmoil, but I would gladly take it as long as I could remain by Loki's side.

"I have little in way of proof." I admitted. "Except this: He said you had a deal. He's back in Midgard, has come to honor his part, but you have to meet him halfway."

In the end, it would be up to her; she could trust me or not, though if she didn't Thor might try riskier things to get in contact with her.

"I shall meet you in Denver then." She announced.

I just smiled, closing the mirror and putting it away. It had gone well.

**xXx**

It really seemed like a joke, or a bad spy show. I found a couple of tourists that were passing by Puente Antiguo and who were kind enough to take me all the way to Amarillo, Texas, where I got on a plane to Colorado Springs, Colorado, and finally a bus to Denver. All a mess, really; but while I didn't think there would be much trouble if S.H.I.E.L.D. happened to connect me with Jane's departure and eventual return (hopefully with Thor), it was better for all of us, but especially Loki, if no connection was made.

Things went well, I met Jane in the airport in Denver three days later (I'd spent a night in Amarillo, and her own bus hadn't left Santa Fe until the day after I'd left). We had breakfast together in a small coffee shop attached to the airport before boarding our plane to Boston with a layover in New York; then a second, smaller plane to Portland, Maine; where a driver was waiting to take us to Salani mansion.

We didn't talk much in the plane, there were too many people and Jane understood that our topics of conversation weren't to be handled in public. It wasn't until we got in the car that she finally began bombarding me.

"Just who are you?!" She demanded. "I've played this game with you the last few days, but now I really wanna know what the hell is going on."

"It's complicated." I sighed, trying to decide on an explanation that wouldn't make me sound completely insane. "Look, we both know just who Thor is, right?"

"How do you even know Thor?" She insisted.

"You are not the first human to come in contact with an Asgardian, Jane." I told her quietly. "And Thor is not the first of his people to spend time in our realm." I took a deep breath before finally dropping the bomb. "I am Silbhé Salani, I'm nineteen years old, and I've known and been in frequent contact with an Asgardian for the last eight years…"

In an amazing display of timing, or possibly magic. We parked right then, inside the Salani estate and right in front of the front door. I had noticed since we'd gotten into the car that it wasn't a rental, and that the driver was none other than Loki, but I'd chosen not to say a word. Right then my door opened and I accepted Loki's hand to step out before helping Jane do the same.

"Who?" She asked the moment we were out.

"Jane?!" Someone called from the house.

We all turned briefly to see Thor standing at the door, a bright smile on his face as he saw Jane.

"Thor!" Jane cried out ecstatically.

I expected her to rush straight at him; however, she was too much a scholar not to still want answers, so, instead, she turned back to me.

"Who do you know?" She insisted.

"Dr. Jane Foster." I called formally as I stepped back and straight into my love's arms. "Meet Luka Hveðrungr, my fiancée… you might know him better as Loki."

**xXx**

In the end Jane took things much better than I, than any of us, expected her to. She slapped Loki once, for giving her the 'scare of her life', and then declared she was willing to bury the hatchet and move on. Loki and Thor seemed very surprised, I could just smile. I might not have known Jane, but I knew what she was doing; she loved Thor so much she was willing to do anything, even forgive Loki. I knew and understood because I loved Loki just as much.

When Jane was told my story she kept repeating how romantic the whole thing was. Especially with us being due to marry the day before my graduation (as it was the day my father arrived, and we had plans to go on a honeymoon in Europe for the summer).

The wedding took place in the garden in Salani mansion, with us standing beneath the huge lavender tree, with the rose patch beyond us. As a special gift, one I never expected or even imagined possible my father had my mother's wedding dress brought out of storage, cleaned and tailored to fit me. It was gorgeous: ivory white, a-line, with a sweetheart neckline, backless, the torso was like a wrap, ruffled a bit and hugging my figure, it was separated from the skirt by a tight sash (the original one was champagne, but my aunt changed it to golden), the skirt was done in such a way it looked as if it were covered in blossoms, it reached to the ground on the front, with a chapel train in the back. The shoes were simple golden sandal-flats. There was no veil and my hair was arranged with my two forelocks pulled back, keeping the rest of it in order, pinned together with a golden clip lent to me by Jane. Finally the garter was blue. So, all traditions were kept: something old (the dress), something borrowed (the clip), something blue (the garter) and something new (the shoes).

The ceremony was small but very beautiful. The only guests were my Aunt Kathryn, my father, Jane and Thor. My father's new wife and step-children didn't attend, as they were still in Europe (where they lived). A benefit of having little-to-nothing where a social life was concerned, was that there weren't many people we might have invited to the wedding. Aside from those there the only other family I had were some cousins in Britain I hadn't spoken to in a long time, I didn't know enough of my Aunt Kathryn's friends to invite them, and there was no way to invite any of Loki's family (Thor and Jane was more than we'd expected). A minister married us right there in the mansion, as had been arranged by my aunt; and after my father had retired for the night, Thor followed the instructions Loki had given him in the previous weeks to perform what was effectively a hand-fasting ceremony.

Of course, we put our own spin to things, exchanging consort presents (as was tradition in Asgard), necklaces: mine was a nightingale pendant with so many protective spells as to make me almost invulnerable; his was a locket with a heart made of Celtic knots, the inside had a chip in which I'd recorded myself playing the dizi flute, one of my favorite melodies: Trail of the Angels. When the time came to exchange rings they were made of pure magic (as neither of us was exactly a fan of actual rings) and left tattoos of claddagh rings in our fingers. Then, once those things were done, and with the ropes still tied around our crossed wrists, we recited the Ancient Vows:

"I do so swear that you will be my only one. I shall look at no other the way I look at you, I shall think of no other the way I think about you, I shall talk to no other the way I talk to you, I shall desire no other the way I desire you, and I shall lay with no other the way I lay with you. I shall be with no other for you are now and forever shall be my one and only; my friend, my lover, my partner, my match…"

I didn't know it back then, but that would be the last time I would see my father… he would die two and a half years later, drowned after a naval accident during a storm in the Mediterranean. I wouldn't even know a thing until almost a month later… at least the last time we met we were all happy. He never asked about my fiancée, why the two hadn't met before, why we were marrying so quickly; on the last part I'd explained we didn't want people talking, as we were planning on living together, and on the first… I suspect auntie might have told him something, though I never really asked her about it.

We weren't expecting any gifts, not with the wedding being so sudden: still, my father signed over the property of the mansion to me, as well as transferring the full contents of my mother's accounts to mine, my aunt gave me a box filled with my mother's most valuable possessions (mostly jewelry, books, a numbers of scarves, pictures and other trinkets). Thor leading the handfasting ceremony was his own gift; while it might not mean much in Midgard, we were expecting that, when the time came, it would mean something for Asgard. Jane had insisted on being the one to buy the wedding cake. It was small (as we were so few), heart-shaped, a mix of vanilla and milk-chocolate covered and decorated by three chocolates and comestible-roses (not a traditional wedding cake, but still).

**xXx**

Finally the 11th of June came and I walked across the stage to receive my diplomas for my Master Degrees in European Mythology and Folklore, History and Literature from Norwich University, in Northfield, Vermont; I was officially Professor Silbhé Arianna Salani-Hveðrungr.

My father left shortly after I received my papers, having to travel to New York for a business deal. Jane and Thor were there too, at their insistence, wanting me to have family with me, even if my father had to leave. Loki had spun a small glamour spell around them to prevent anyone from looking too closely at either of them, and especially remembering anything about them afterwards (another detail to make sure we wouldn't be tied to them when Thor eventually met with S.H.I.E.L.D.) We had plans to go for lunch to an Italian restaurant, a favorite of Loki and I, before Loki and I took a plane for Europe, Jane and Thor one to Texas and my aunt one back to Portland, Maine.

Loki reached me as soon as the ceremony was over and with a hand on the bare expanse of my back (I was wearing a violet and silver Greek-style dress with silver slippers my father had bought for me before my engagement). We were looking for my aunt so we could leave the campus when we were suddenly intercepted by a couple of men in suits; I knew even before I sensed Loki's uneasiness through our bonds that there was something off about those men, their posture just screamed 'secret agent'.

"Professor Salani?" The one who seemed to be the higher ranked among the two men asked as he stood in front of me.

I was instantly in full alert (not that I wasn't beforehand), a complete stranger, particularly one that looked like a government agent, knowing my name was never a good thing. Especially not with the man that was standing behind me, with an arm around my waist.

"Salani-Hveðrungr, in fact." I corrected calmly. "What can I do for you gentlemen?"

"We would like to talk to you Professor, in private if possible." The man stated, taking an obvious look at the people all around.

"I'm afraid we don't have much time right now." I told him easily. "My aunt is waiting on us to go have lunch and then my husband and I have a plane to catch."

"Husband?" That certainly seemed to take the agent by surprise.

"Luka Hveðrungr, Doctor in Social-Anthropology and European Cultural Studies." He recited the degrees in his fake papers (though he had certainly studied such topics enough to deserve them).

"Interesting…" The man nodded. "This connection wasn't in your files Professor."

My eyebrows rose and I could feel the tension in Loki's body behind me. Neither of us liked that last part, and the fact that the agent kept looking at the two of us… we had no idea what he was thinking, what he might do…

"And why would you have a file on my wife?" Loki asked coldly.

"Professor Salani… sorry Salani-Hveðrungr is someone we consider, shall we say, of interest to current and future projects." The man said in a very formal manner. "You were on our list too, Dr. Hveðrungr, though we had been able to find very little about you and had no idea how to contact you. I guess this might even work in your favor."

"You have yet to give any explanation whatsoever." Loki reminded him. "And like N… Silbhé already told you, we do not have the time. We have lunch, and then a honeymoon to get to."

The man was average looking, though some power and authority could be sensed coming from him; he blushed at Loki's words, or probably just the very blasé way in which he said them.

"Yes, of course." He nodded. "If you do not have the time today I would like to know when the best date might be to approach you, I have a job offer."

I actually froze at that. Working for the government? One thing Aunt Kathryn had been very clear on was that I was never, ever, to work for the government. She had worried about me after I had passed the half-dozen languages, knowing the CIA liked recruiting young people with that kind of knowledge; however, my medical record somehow protected me from such maneuvers (it is unlikely an agency would be interested in having an agent that was ill, an incurable disease that, technically, could claim her life at any moment). Still, that somehow didn't seem to be stopping the men standing in front of us right then.

"What kind of job?" I inquired, not able to help my curiosity.

"I'm afraid that the kind that cannot be discussed in the open." The man stated, signaling discreetly to all the people around us. "If you could give us a better date when you might have the time to talk with us, both of you."

"We plan to travel through Europe for the next month or two." Loki informed him somewhat vaguely. "The plans aren't definite; it will all depend on how we feel."

"Well, once you're back in the country, we would like it if you could contact us." The man stated, reaching into his jacket.

He handed me a plain white card, it looked like presentation cards from some companies, except there was no name, no logo: only a phone number: I vaguely noticed that the area code belonged to New York, or somewhere around there.

Loki took the card from my hand carefully, looking it over before slipping it inside his own jacket (not like I had where to put it anyway).

"You're being pretty insistent about us contacting you, but you have yet to tell us who you even are, who is intending to hire us." Loki stated in a cold voice. "Even if the job itself cannot be discussed in the open, you cannot expect us to just follow you blindly, without having at least some idea what exactly you want from us."

As he was saying all that, suddenly something occurred to me. Something I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of before. Really, while the CIA and possibly other government agencies hired agents due to their knowledge in languages, the fact that he was trying to establish contact during my graduation, and not only that, but he was referring to me as Professor, it meant that his interest laid in my grad-studies. I could only think of one group that might have an interest in someone with my area of study, and Loki's as well… the confirmation came a second later, as the agent finally answered my husband's question:

"True." He smiled politely. "My name is Philip Coulson, and I work for the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Divisions… S.H.I.E.L.D. for short."

And just like that, everything changed.

Forever

* * *

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I could have left things here for this one, but there was too much I wanted to write... so more will come.

Next: time has passed, the brothers have families and lives on Midgard. Just what kind of lives, you will find out.

Fanarts might prove a bit spoilery this time around but, as always, they can be found in full size in my deviantArt account.

Updates will come every other week.


	2. The End

This is where the mess of the changing POVs begins... but it is necessary, for this fic is (I think) a tad more complex than any of the previous ones, including the main one. Hope you'll like reading from different people.

Also, there is a considerable time-jump from the first chapter to this one. Which also means that a lot has happened in that time. Some things will appear in flashbacks (in italics, as always), most will simply be mentioned. I hope you'll be able to follow everything, but if I end up confusing anyone let me know and I'll clear it up for you.

Enjoy!

* * *

**The End **

For ten years we lived a dream… but every dream must come to an end.

**xXx 3****rd**** Person POVxXx**

That day was supposed to be like any other, they each woke up and followed the same routines of every day. A married couple got out of bed, shared a shower along with a relatively short but passionate reminder of their love. A family shares breakfast in the kitchen counter: some toast with margarine and sugar, and strawberry jelly for the child, along with chocolate-milk or coffee (only the husband, as the child was too young and the wife cannot stand it).

With breakfast finished and the dishes in the sink each of the three members of the small family walked to the entrance to their condo, retrieving jackets from the small closet there as well as sets of keys hanging from small hooks next to a mirror. They stepped onto the hallway at the same time a woman was locking the door to the one other condo in the same floor. They were a family very much like the first: a married couple, with two children, boys, instead of the girl from the first family. The seven together stepped onto the elevator, which took them a floor up, the second to last level of the complex where they live.

On the next floor three people were waiting on the hall: first a couple: the woman around the same age of the two mothers, the man years older. A few feet away from them stood an older woman, who received all three children with a warm smile and hugs; the young ones called her 'teacher', and aunt, and huged her back.

After the teacher and the three children entered one of the two condos on that floor the two married couples returned to the elevator, followed by the other couple.

Together the six rode the elevator all the way to the basement level. By the time they stepped out of it, it was like they were entirely different people. They were still wearing the same clothes as before: either skirts or slacks, button up shirts or blouses and formal jackets; also, either clipped to the lapel of their jackets or hanging from a chain around their necks were identification tags; and each of them, somewhere on their person, had the same symbol, like an eagle, with the wings opened, a set of initials on the bottom: S.H.I.E.L.D.

The level was the first of the parking levels; but it was also more. In a corner, besides what looked like a garage door, two small cars (almost like golf cars) were waiting for them. It was easy enough for them to get on them, the garage door opened easily enough too, except that instead of leading them to the street outside the door lead them to a tunnel. They drove through it, about a quarter mile or so, before reaching a second door. Beyond it was another door. The cars were parked and the six adults made their way to a set of crystal doors.

Inside they walked through a metal detector, after placing their keys, coins, and two of them even guns in baskets to be checked over by the security guards. After the check was finished, the one who seemed to be the leader of the guards greeted them all respectfully:

"Agent Coulson, Agent Lewis, Dr. Foster, Mr. Foster, Professor Salani-Hveðrungr, Dr. Hveðrungr." The man nodded at each in turn. "Good morning."

"Good morning Jack." They returned the greeting.

As the elevator arrived and the six stepped in, the guard couldn't help but wish them well, he'd always liked those six.

"Have a good day sirs, ma'am…" Jack wished them.

A good day, yeah… if any of them had had any idea of just what that day would bring… The peace they had enjoyed for the last ten years was about to come to an abrupt end. The universe would never be the same again.

**xXx Nightingale's POV xXx**

It was a good day… really, most days were good days, had been for almost ten years. That day in July, following my graduation ceremony, the first time I saw Agent Coulson… I could have never imagined what that meeting would bring, how it would change, and shape, our future.

We didn't tell anyone about Agent Coulson that day and when we got on the plane to the United Kingdom we mostly pushed him and everything that concerned him out of our minds. We enjoyed the next six weeks to the most, revisiting the places I'd loved the most when going there for studies (I'd spent the summers traveling to Europe for my degrees), and many other places Loki had seen before in his many years exploring the planet. It was near the end of August when we finally admitted, first to ourselves and then to each other, that a decision needed to be made. It would have been so easy, terribly easy, to just forget everything about Coulson, burn his card, ignore his offer; get jobs as professors, or scholars somewhere and make our own lives… but deep down that wasn't what we really wanted, neither of us.

One influential part was Thor, actually. He had gone with Jane, as planned, had given some vague answer on how he'd gotten back to Midgard without anyone noticing, before stating that he couldn't go back, the Bifrost was broken. As Jane was still working on creating an Einstein-Rosen bridge, or at least a way to get in contact with other realms, and Thor was staying with her, the only reason Loki and I could hope to stay in contact would be by staying close to S.H.I.E.L.D. as well.

We also knew that we could either spend the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders, fearing for the time when S.H.I.E.L.D. might discover us, discover Loki, and come after us… or we could be a part of them, (keep your friends close and your enemies closer, some might say); I also wanted to hope, deep down and no matter how naïve the notion might seem, that if we helped them enough they might come to value us, enough not to betray us when they eventually found out the truth (because, as much as I may be a dreamer and an optimist, I'm also too much of a realist not to accept that the truth always comes out, eventually).

So we decided to take Coulson up on his offer. Aunt Kathryn didn't like it, but she couldn't fault our logic either. What I wasn't expecting was when she announced she would be going with us. It was at that point that I discovered something about my Aunt Kathryn I never imagined: I knew she'd been an Agent for the British Secret Service; however, as I found out, she didn't always work for MI5, most of the time she worked with a group known as the S.S.R. (Strategic Scientific reserve… or something like that), a group which had, eventually, turned into S.H.I.E.L.D., when the Agency became international. It was one thing to know she'd somehow been involved in the search for Captain America, a very different one to know she'd worked fifteen years with such a group… and she'd left it all to raise me.

I could still remember when we'd finally met with Agent Coulson.

_We'd gone to Boston, at Aunt Kathryn's insistence; she claimed that even if we were going to be working for a secret government agency, we were entitled to our own secrets; the most important (aside from Loki's real identity) was to be the location of our true home. S.H.I.E.L.D. had the address of the apartment where I had lived for five years as I went through, first undergrad and then grad studies, but they didn't know about Salani mansion. It was one thing Aunt Kathryn had made sure of when the deed was passed onto me, to keep it so buried no one would ever find it. If anything ever happened that was a good place for us to hide out. Also, arrangements were made in case anything happened, people we could reach for help, means to get out of the state, the country, even the continent depending on how serious things might get. We might have seemed paranoid, but we weren't about to take any chances. _

_So we'd gone to Boston, where we waited for Agent Coulson in a small coffee shop out of the way. There weren't so many people that someone might overhear, but not so little that four or five getting together in one table would attract unnecessary attention. It was all in the balance, in keeping appearances, auntie said. _

_Agent Coulson appeared at the exact time we'd arranged the meeting, he entered the coffee shop alone; though, of course, neither of us were as foolish as to believe he was truly on his own. Loki had discreetly signaled me to a car parked on the opposite side of the street, a black sedan (and wasn't that just a classic?) with two people inside who seemed to be doing nothing at all; I also had my suspicions about the young woman who had entered the coffee shop three minutes or so before Coulson and was sitting on a solitary booth, in a corner, presumably drinking a latte or something like that (and yet kept turning in our direction every so often). _

"_I thought this would be a private meeting." The Agent commented, pointedly looking around. _

"_We thought a public place would act as good insurance." I told him calmly, taking a sip of my drink. "And if that's not enough." _

_In that very moment Aunt Kathryn took her seat on the last remaining chair of the table, right beside Coulson; he immediately tensed up and from the corner of our eyes we could see the woman on the other side of the shop tensing as well. _

"_It's alright Agent, I'm not here to cause any trouble." She told him calmly. "You can tell your companion that you're both safe from us." _

_If Coulson was surprised that we knew he wasn't alone he didn't show it. He just made a discreet signal with his hand, it was enough to make the woman sit back again, even if the tension didn't leave her body, it was obvious she didn't trust us. _

"_I believe I mentioned this job offer needed to be talked about in private." Coulson commented drily as he finally took a sip of his own beverage. _

"_I also once told my niece I never wanted her working for the government, yet she's considering doing exactly that." Auntie deadpanned. "I wasn't about to let her go into this alone, and ignorant of what S.H.I.E.L.D. is all about." _

"_And you would know that, how, ma'am?" Coulson's eyebrow narrowed in confusion. _

"_You may have changed your name a couple of times, and only have decided to use the initials to form an easier name recently, but you and I know, Agent, that S.H.I.E.L.D. has been around for a long time." Kathryn told him easily. "I worked for the S.S.R., and was part of the very beginning of what you now call S.H.I.E.L.D. And I remember you Phil, even if you don't remember me." She offered her hand for him to shake. "Retired Agent Kathryn Adler, at your service." _

_That certainly seemed to throw Coulson for a loop. _

"_What is the plan then?" He finally asked after a while. _

"_The plan is those two will be going to work for S.H.I.E.L.D., and I will be going with them." She announced "Wonder what Nicholas will say…" _

A good question, even if I never knew the answer. From things Aunt Kathryn had said we knew she'd known Nick Fury before, had been partnered with him for a few missions right when S.H.I.E.L.D. was beginning, under the supervision of the very founders of the organization: Howard Stark, Margaret Carter, and others.

The three of us arrived to New Mexico on the first week of September, and that was when the ruse began. As Jane and Thor greeted us as if we were complete strangers, meeting for the first time. Thor being so new to Earth and having little knowledge of the realm, its customs, etc., helped justify his fast friendship with us, especially Luka. The fact that we were all working together helped as well.

As far as S.H.I.E.L.D. was concerned my husband and I worked at teaching everyone in the organization about other realms, using our knowledge in history, mythology, etc., as a basis; and with Thor either confirming or denying our theories. They didn't know the knowledge actually came from Loki (as Thor had admitted to never having been too interested in scholarly work); we also used mythology to justify as much of the knowledge as we could, sometimes purposefully getting something wrong, just so people wouldn't suspect.

By October we were all living together, along with Jane's now full-time assistant, Darcy Lewis, in a big ranch-like house in the outskirts of Puente Antiguo.

Then things got a level of complicated we never expected: I became pregnant. I didn't even know such a thing was possible! To the point that I didn't even suspect until I fainted one morning and my husband got nervous enough he agreed with Jane when she suggested getting me to a hospital. The fabulous news that I was six to eight weeks pregnant were soon crushed by the doctor stating the pregnancy to be too high risk for me, going as far as recommending an abortion (for my own good…).

The two Asgardians nearly snapped at that. A man was telling them to kill a child, Loki's child… only the fact that he had clearly stated, more than once, that it was for my own health, stopped either of them from doing something drastic. However, I refused. Being a mother… it was not something I had ever considered. Having been sick from a very young age, knowing well enough the consequences of cancer in the blood… I never expected to live past my teens, much less to an age where having a child would ever be more than a passing thought. So, one cannot say having a child had always been my dream. However, in that moment, hearing there was a child inside me, a little baby who was half me and half Loki… I loved that baby so much it almost hurt. There was no way I would ever let anyone hurt that baby, much less kill him/her, it would be like turning against Loki himself, and that was something I would never, ever, do. I also hoped that having the most powerful sorcerer in all the realms as my husband might help me…

In the end, things weren't as bad as that first doctor had predicted, they weren't easy either. The baby was born early, almost too early, and I technically did die giving birth to her… in the end, it was all worth it.

_I went into labor sometime during the night. At first I tried to keep it to myself, but eventually Loki managed to pick up on the pain through our bond. When Jane learnt what was going on she wanted to call an ambulance but Loki refused. He would rather I give birth at home, where he could unreservedly use his magic to make sure the baby and I were alright; besides, with him being a Jotun we didn't know if our child would be in any way… inhuman. _

_Jane conceded the point. Darcy though we were all crazy, until I slipped (I'd been walking around to try and alleviate the discomfort in between contractions); in a second Loki teleported to my side, holding me before I could hit the ground. It was then that Darcy understood. In less than an hour she had any and all information to be found online about homebirths and they were all gathering everything we might need (while it was true Loki could have conjured them, we decided it was better if he saved his magic for later on, just in case). _

_I was completely terrified; being barely thirty weeks pregnant didn't help matters any. I knew it was much too early, and the fact that I felt progressively weaker as the hours passed only made an already delicate situation all the worse. _

_When morning finally came it was only worse. The project we'd all been working on since Loki and I'd first arrived to New Mexico was to be tested that day. It was supposed to be a window that would allow us to communicate with Asgard. Risky, considering the situation with my match, but still something S.H.I.E.L.D. wanted, and Thor kept believing he could intercede in our favor. He especially refused to believe his father would ever hurt a woman who was pregnant with his grandchild, or separate a family. I didn't know what I believed on that front, while I had all my faith on Frigg, the same couldn't be said about Odin, he had made too many mistakes, committed too many sins against my love, as far as I was concerned. _

_Still, Jane, Thor and Darcy had to be there for the experiment. Aunt Kathryn called in sick (if she had explained what was going on too many people would have asked questions we didn't want to answer), choosing to stay and help us, she had a nursing degree, which also helped. _

_I spent all the morning and most of the afternoon in labor, the contractions getting progressively longer, closer together, and me getting weaker; until I couldn't get out of bed anymore. An instinct told me that if it weren't for the energy Loki kept supplying through our bonds I might not have even made it that far… _

_Finally, the time came. At 5:21 pm according to the clock on my bedside table, my baby was born. All small, covered in blood and incredibly beautiful… In a second Loki used magic to cut the cord, seal the wound, clean her up and then enveloped her in the pale yellow baby blanket Darcy had gotten for her. _

"_It's a girl!" Auntie announced as she passed her to her daddy. "Silbhé!" _

"_A girl…" I gasped as I looked at her in my love's arms. "We have a girl!" _

"_A beautiful, strong daughter…" Loki agreed as he sat beside me, placing the baby in my arms. "Just like you, my Nightingale." _

_I smiled as brightly as I could while still so tired. I took the time I could to look at her carefully, committing every detail to memory: the tuff of red hair on her head, the pale rosy skin, the shocking eyes that seemed to be a mix of brown, amber and almost red… ten fingers and ten toes, so small, so fragile… my baby… _

_She didn't cry, just looked at Loki and I, something in her eyes I couldn't quite identify, yet seemed to almost tell me she knew, even having just been born, she knew exactly who we were. _

"_My baby…" I whispered as I kissed the tuff of red on her head. "My little rose…" _

"_Rose?" Aunt Kathryn inquired. "Will that be her name?" _

"_It is a beautiful name." Loki decided. "Very fitting, my Nightingale…" _

_He had read the same poems as I, the old stories, the legendary connection between nightingales and roses… and of course there was the fact that those were my favorite flowers, and their garden the very place where we'd first met… _

"_Yes." I kissed her head again. "My little Rose… I love you…" _

_I instinctively knew something wasn't right. Loki had used magic to clean up everything (the blood, placenta, etc.) and aunt Kathryn had announced she would be giving a call to Jane and the others so they knew the baby had been born, also to give us some time to bond as a family. Loki had no more energy to give me, and I knew it wasn't all over yet. With the last remnants of energy I had I passed the baby to him before darkness closed in around me, the last thing I was conscious of was Loki calling loudly to my aunt, right before he begged me… something, I didn't know anymore. I was gone. _

_I was greatly surprised when I returned to awareness, even if it wasn't an unwelcome one, it certainly was something I hadn't expected to experience ever again. I had no idea where I was supposed to be, all around me seemed to be mist and a never-ending emptiness. My mind felt sluggish, making it harder for me to even begin to wonder what was going on. _

_Suddenly I wasn't alone anymore. There was a woman standing before me, in such a way I could only see her profile; she was tall, around a foot taller than me; looked to be around my age, though I've never been very good at telling someone's age, so I couldn't be sure. She wore a fancy midnight blue floor-length gown, with long sleeves open on the outside and a golden sash. The peach semi-translucent tone of her skin reminded me powerfully of someone, though my mind was so lost I couldn't pinpoint just who; her hair was long, straight and a shiny ashen black color, the eye fixed straight on me was a deep, shining jade-green, almost like… Loki, she reminded me of my husband! _

_In an instant it was like my mind came together. Suddenly I was painfully aware of just who I was: Silbhé Salani-Hveðrungr, professor, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s consultant, Loki's wife and match, Rose's mom… Rose, my baby girl, who, if things were as bad as I feared, along with losing her mom was going to lose her dad as well, right when we'd come so close to having everything we could have ever dreamt… I knew life wasn't fair… but in that moment it was downright cruel… _

"_You're a strange one." The woman called my attention back to her. _

_I turned to look at her, but before I could say a single word she turned to face me fully and I could suddenly see the left side of her body. Her skin looked dark, as if it were either burnt or rotting; the hair on that side of her head was brittle and gray, like that of an old woman; and her eye was a red pupil on a black sclera. _

_Her appearance took me by surprise, though I wasn't scared. No, after the revelation of Loki's heritage and his true image I promised myself I would never let physical differences sway me. Besides, with my mind working properly I could connect what I was seeing to a specific name: _

"_Lady Hel." I bowed respectfully to her. _

"_You know who I am." Her brow arched, apparently not having expected that. _

"_I do, my lady." I nodded. "Though I am surprised at your presence. I do not imagine it is normal for us mortals to get to see the ruler of the realm of the dead." _

"_No, it is not." She replied. "Truth is, you aren't dead yet, not fully and, I find you intriguing. In the past I have seen mortals give up. The mark of death on their souls before their bodies actually give up. And yet with you… the mark is on you, yet you keep holding onto life so tightly, more than anyone I've ever seen before." She sighed. "And it's not only that. Someone is holding you as well, keeping you tethered to life, when such a thing shouldn't even be possible. Then there's the power you have beneath your skin, the magic that runs through your veins along with that horrible human sickness." Her expression changed as she suddenly seemed to realize something. "The bonds on your soul… you are the Nightingale, you are my father's match." _

_I smiled at her, even as I couldn't help but feel the pain of knowing I was dying, I couldn't help the happiness at being able to meet my step-daughter. _

"_I am." I nodded with a small smile. "It's a pleasure meeting you. Even if the circumstances aren't really the best ones." I took a deep breath before saying the next part. "I know this is going to sound absolutely insane, but you say I'm not dead yet, I was hoping this might allow me to ask a boon from you." _

"_A boon?" She inquired, elegant eyebrow arched. "Do you wish to cheat death?" _

"_No." I shook my head. "I know better than to try such a thing. What I wish is for death to claim only me." I showed her the deamarkonian. "This was given to me by Loki, to save me when I was fourteen and dying from the Cancer. It makes it so our lives are entwined. I wish just for a few moments more, just enough so I can unlock it. Just enough so my death won't be the reason he dies too. My daughter is going to need her father, and I would like it if I could say goodbye to him, kiss him one last time." _

"_So you do wish for life, only not for yourself, but for Loki?" _

"_He's done so much for me…it's not fair that he die with me. I always knew one day my death would come, I've never had any delusions on that matter. However, I truly believe he deserves to keep on living. And Rose deserves to have her father…" _

"_You have the Lady of Death standing before you, and you plead for someone else's life?" _

"_I do." I had no doubts about that. _

"_I would ask you for her life…" _

_We were both shocked at the sudden arrival of the newcomer. Turned to see Loki standing right beside me, in all his Asgardian glory, except he was translucent. _

"_I'm not really here." He clarified looking at me. "I told you before that it's too dangerous to travel from world to world right now through the Shadow Paths. However, our bond allows me to project myself like this." He turned to Hel. "Daughter-mine…" _

"_Father…" She nodded at him. "You are asking me to return your human wife to life." _

"_You yourself said she's not dead yet." Loki pointed out. "It's our bonds that are keeping her tethered to life." His expression broke. "Please Hel… I know this goes against the norm, but little Rose deserves to have her mother with her… if not for me, do it for her." _

"_Rose… my little sister…" Hel whispered in the softest tone possible. "You want me to intervene so her mother might live…" _

_Loki flinched. I didn't even think about what I was doing then, just followed my instincts as I threw myself at Hel, embracing her tightly. She froze, not moving an inch until I pulled back. _

"_I'm sorry, if I've done something you're uncomfortable with." I told her quietly. "I just… I know I'm being presumptuous but Loki is my husband, and you are his daughter… and I would love it if you would consider me as family as well." _

"_You… you want to be my family?" Hel seemed to have trouble comprehending that. _

"_Of course!" I smiled brightly at her. "Why wouldn't I?" _

"_No one has ever cared before." She winced slightly. _

"_Hel… I know I haven't always been the father you deserve." Loki told her as he touched her arm. "I was young, and that's no excuse… but you're still my daughter and I care for you. I always will, even if I don't always show it the right way." _

"_You're beautiful Hel." I assured her, touching her other arm. "Maybe not in the traditional sense, but beautiful still. Likewise, I will always believe Rose to be beautiful, whether she keeps looking human, or changes at some point." _

"_I believe you…" She sighed, leaning into my touch before turning to Loki. "And I know you do care father, just like I care for you." She turned to look at both of us at the same time. "I want to help this family, our family. But it won't be easy. A sacrifice will have to be made." _

"_What kind of sacrifice?" I asked, doubtful. _

_It was one thing to be willing to give my own life, I'd come to terms with my own mortality many years before… but I didn't want to lose Loki; through our bond I could tell his feelings mirrored mine for the most part. _

"_Father… you have been giving her a lot of energy for hours, and even now are keeping her alive, but it's not enough." Hel said in an almost pained voice. _

"_What must I do?" Loki asked simply. _

"_Your immortality." Hel finally answered him. "You must give it up. It's the only thing that will work anymore…" She shook her head. "If there were anything else…" _

"_I'll do it." There was no hesitation as he spoke. "If that will allow her to live, if it will allow us to stay together. I will do it. I will do anything." _

_I wanted to say something, but I didn't dare. How could I complain about him doing something out of love for me? For us? And he wouldn't die, no, instead we both would get to live, as mortal humans… maybe, hopefully, one day he would get a chance to recover his immortality, for both of us to be together forever. We could only hope… _

Just like that, I got to survive my daughter's birth, and my husband became mortal, as human as I… he was still a Sorcerer, capable of the most amazing magic, but then again, so was I… We didn't know if it was because of Rose, or our bonds, the deal with Hel, or a combination of things, but I could use magic; it was still Loki's, but I could channel it. That, and one more thing, something not even Loki could do (which means we hadn't the slightest idea how I could…) I had the power to heal…

That same night we discovered a lot more had happened than just Rose's birth. The Final Test for the window had gone awfully wrong. There had been an awful explosion, several S.H.I.E.L.D. scientists and Agents had been injured, some quiet badly; the only reason Jane, Darcy and Thor (who were the ones closest to the experiment) hadn't died, was in part because Thor had shifted into Asgardian form and covered them, and part thanks to the bracelets each of the gals wore, woven with at least a dozen protective spells each (a gift from Loki).

After recovering enough from our own ordeal Loki had gone through each of our three friends' memories (with their approval) and was eventually able to make out what went wrong: someone had tampered with the window. Someone on our side. If their intention had been to assassinate one or more of us, or simply not to allow the window to be used, was unknown. However, that wasn't what truly worried Loki, no. The window had actually been opened for a handful or so of seconds, only it wasn't directed to any specific realm, instead it had connected to the Shadows… the abyss, and what Loki had seen there, even if just for those few seconds, it hadn't been good. A power, a threat, a creature both powerful and willing enough to destroy us all, to destroy our world, and possibly others as well. We didn't know why, or how, but the intent was still quite visible to Loki even in that short time. Earth was in danger, from a power high enough it had survived in the abyss, where nothing was said to be able to exist…

In the end Thor and Jane managed to give a half warning to S.H.I.E.L.D., making it appear like they had actually noticed the threatening presence in the window before the explosion, they just hadn't remembered at first. Then Loki and I had played a bit with Greek mythology (the Titans in particular), Asgard's ideas that nothing could exist in the abyss, among other details to give a believable warning of the danger that, for whatever the reason, seemed to have Earth in its crosshairs. There was no way of knowing when it would come, where it would attack exactly; but we had no doubt that it would, indeed, come, eventually.

Still, the explosion, the fact that it had been caused by someone in our world, was enough for S.H.I.E.L.D. to decide it wasn't safe for any of us to say in Puente Antiguo any longer. That, compounded with the fact that Thor and Loki had both declared it would be best if the creation of any other 'windows' was postponed until either the danger had passed or we had a way to protect ourselves from it; made S.H.I.E.L.D. decide to move us all.

That was how we ended in New York, living in a condo in one of the top floors. The whole building belonged to S.H.I.E.L.D. and it was where most Agents and Consultants level 7 and above lived; some of inferior levels but with some particular talent that made them important for the Agency as well. The closest buildings (connected to the apartments by a sublevel tunnel) were the actual HQs of the organization.

For the first few years after our arrival in NY Loki and I had worked on teaching anyone we might have missed while being in the South, about Asgard and other realms, while Jane moved to studying astronomical events and their possible connections with said realms. Stark had been trying on and off for at least half a decade to convince the bosses to allow the 'Foster Window' project to resume, there were some talks that it might be allowed, even though Loki kept saying it was insane to take such unnecessary risks.

My husband and I, for our parts, after finishing with what had been our original job had moved on to working as liaisons and ambassadors. Ever since the beginning of what some called 'the Age of Superheroes' the media had been going crazy with all the people with supernatural abilities that kept popping all around the world. Since S.H.I.E.L.D. had taken it upon themselves to act either to protect or condemn them depending on their own actions, governments and media alike had been turning towards the Agency in search of answers. My knowledge in languages came in handy then, and my match's as well.

Many more things had passed since our arrival to New York: Jane had gotten pregnant, Thor insisting on marrying her before the child was born, wanting their children to be his heirs by both Midgardian and Asgardian law. They civil ceremony had been very small (only family and closest friends) and that same night Loki had handled the magical bonding ceremony; great had been the surprise to us all when Jane had recited vows similar to the ones Loki and I had used in our wedding, and especially when Thor did likewise. All Thor said was:

"_She's my match, brother, sister, just like you are a match; and one day, Allfather willing, she will be my Queen. Regardless of what the future brings, I will take no other, my Jane is the only woman I shall have from now till the end of time."_

That speech had only been reinforced when, during Jane's second pregnancy she came close to dying, until Thor made an offering to Hel, to allow his wife to survive and his second son to live: his immortality for Jane's life. The only thing that saddened Jane was that she couldn't have the little girl she'd always dreamed of; as she'd been unable to get pregnant again after her second boy (and even if she did, her body might not be able to take it). I hadn't had any other child besides Rose either.

And so we ended as two little families: Jane, Thor (under the name of Donald Foster) and their sons: Svein (7) and David (5); and Loki (Luka Hveðrungr), myself, and our daughter Rose Alfdis (Hel had suggested the middle name and Loki and I had liked it). Two little families, two little perfect… mortal… families.

Aunt Kathryn, while she had been officially reactivated as a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent, she hadn't gone in any active missions aside from acting as backup in a particularly hard one in Egypt, mostly doing administrative work; she was also the one taking care of homeschooling the children; not only ours, but also two others, as it was too dangerous to send any of them to public school; that and they all seemed to be little geniuses.

However, as shocking as our families might be, at least to those who knew who our husbands were (which weren't many, only the highest ranked in S.H.I.E.L.D. knew the truth about Thor and only the family and Darcy knew about Loki); the most shocking event had been in connection to none other than Darcy Lewis… or Darcy Stark.

It had begun as a joke. Darcy had taken training as an Agent after our arrival to NY, becoming Phil's assistant shortly after she was done. When S.H.I.E.L.D. had gone mostly public she'd been pushed into attending a number of public events, acting as a sort of PR agent for the organization, sometimes with Phil, sometimes on her own. Whenever Phil wasn't with her she would gravitate to whoever might be around that she knew. Sometimes that person was Loki, with his cover of a millionaire and scholar come from Europe; and whenever he wasn't there, Tony tended to be, either on his own or with Miss Virginia Pots (better known as Pepper, who'd gone from his PA to SI's CEO, to Stark's fiancée and finally his wife).

Back at a time when Tony and Pepper were less formal with their relationship, Darcy had spent over half a dozen public events in a row in the company of Tony. He was one of the few people who frequented such things that she could stand, and whom, she knew, wouldn't take offense to her honest, often tactless and sometimes crass way of saying things. The press took notice of how close the two seemed to be, running a number of articles about Stark's 'very young' new love interest; they said all kind of crazy things: that he was 'robbing the cradle', that she was just a gold-digger, some accused him of being unfaithful to Pepper (those that had noticed the closeness between the millionaire and his CEO), others accused Darcy of seducing Stark and ruining the relationship. It went on for a while, until Stark, for whatever the reason, yelled at some reporter or another that they had to be sick to think he would ever be in a relationship with someone he saw as his own daughter! Somehow, by the time the quote reached the printers it had transformed into Stark actually having stated that Darcy was his daughter; three days later everyone believed it. The fact that Darcy came from a broken family: a mother who worked too much, a father who had abandoned them both since Darcy was a babe; and, of course, the well-known fact that Tony had been a playboy for over a decade, it all just seemed to give more credit to the story.

The funny thing is that neither ever tried to deny it. Those of us actually close to them knew it wasn't true, while it could have been, it just wasn't. Still, Tony had confessed in private to truly seeing Darcy as a daughter, he saw so much of himself in the young woman, so much of the good that he wanted to nurture, and even some of the bad he wanted to help her change before it truly hurt her. And Darcy liked having a father, for the first time in her life. Like many other things, Pepper just took it all in stride, while she wasn't exactly maternal with Darcy herself, she was still caring, almost like a cousin or older sister, very much like Jane, in fact.

It had been that 'relationship' that had made such a mess of everything the day when Darcy announced she was moving out of her suite in Stark Tower, where Tony had insisted she move after they began treating each other as family, and having seen the very small studio apartment where she'd been living (before the S.H.I.E.L.D. building had been built); she had decided to move in with her boyfriend of two years: none other than Phil Coulson.

It was one thing none of us saw coming, and most of us didn't actually know how it'd happened exactly. When we'd first met Phil he was dating a cellist or something. The relationship had run hot and cold for a while, according to the gossip; but in the end they'd broken up, some said that the woman hadn't been able to take the secrecy and long absences caused by Phil's job. By that point Darcy had already been his assistant, and was moving from that to being seen more as his partner; any other details were only known to them.

Tony had made a huge deal about the age difference, as he and Phil were around the same age, and Tony himself was old enough to be Darcy's father! However, one of the things Darcy and Tony had in common was their stubbornness and she just refused to give an inch. The fact that Phil willingly took everything Tony could dish out for almost three months showed just how much he actually loved Darcy. So Tony gave up, he'd even admitted at some point that the two were good to each other, they balanced one another.

The only kink (sort of) in their relationship was the fact that despite having been together at least eight years they just wouldn't marry. Phil had told Pepper and I that Darcy was young, and he didn't want to tie her if she one day should decide to pursue a relationship with a younger man (which we all knew was never going to happen). Darcy said she didn't care, it wasn't like she had much faith in the institution of marriage (with some exceptions), as far as she was concerned, when there's truly a commitment in a relationship one doesn't need to sign a paper.

Once at HQs we split, each of us going to our respective offices to take care of our duties. The morning went like any other day and, as usual, we gathered together in the cafeteria for lunch. We were halfway through it when abruptly Loki began choking on his soda; I was about to ask him what was wrong when suddenly I could feel as if something were gripping my own heart deep inside, I gasped at the same time I pressed a fist against my chest.

"Luka!" Thor cried out in shock and confusion. "Silbhé!"

"What's wrong?" Darcy rushed to us immediately.

"I… I don't know…" I admitted in a gasp, trying to recover my breath.

"Something is wrong." Loki whispered in a very low voice.

As if that were some kind of signal, suddenly loud alarms began echoing all throughout the building. Followed by Maria Hill's voice on the loudspeakers:

"Level 7, Defcon 2." The voice echoed all around. "All Agents proceed to your stations. This is an emergency."

We all knew what those words meant. There was an emergency; Level 7 meant that only agents of that level and above were to be involved in the actual event; Defcon 2 (the second highest level of emergency) meant that we were facing war. According to what I had read, the last time the two codes had been used together was in 2006, when Magneto and his Brotherhood of Mutants had taken possession of the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco and then moved it (as insane as it seems) to reach Alcatraz Island, the research facility there, which was working on the pseudo-cure for the mutant gene. If we took that as a precedent, whatever was happening couldn't be good; if we added it to the awful feeling my match and I had gotten right before the alarm had rang… the prognosis was even worse.

We all made it to the conference room assigned to our levels in a short time. We weren't alone long; in the next few minutes Phil's direct subordinates: Agents Hawkeye (Clint Barton) and Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff) (who, according to S.H.I.E.L.D. gossip were together and had been for years). Then came Steve Rogers, better known by some as Captain America. Not even five minutes later Tony Stark made an appearance, closely followed by Dr. Bruce Banner (the two men worked together, and had for at least five years, though no one knew how exactly that had happened when Dr. Banner had dropped off the radar back in 2008 and not reappeared for several years… not until he'd arrived to work for SI actually).

"Our wives went to see the children." Stark announced as he took a seat. "Now, who will tell us what exactly is going on?"

"I will." Fury announced as he stepped into the room. "As soon as the last two people I called come and join us."

"Last two people?" Stark inquired, looking around, as if trying to guess who might be missing.

As if on cue a figure appeared on the windowsill right behind Fury. It was male, covered from head to toe in red and blue spandex with a design that looked like a black spiderweb; I knew then who it was: Spider-Man, one of the few superheroes whose identity wasn't openly known, not even inside S.H.I.E.L.D.

"You rang?" The figure inquired in a deadpan tone.

"I didn't just call you, Spider…" Fury pointed out, not even turning around.

"Goblin would like me to remind you we made a deal." Spider-Man said in a very no-nonsense tone. "If you expect our help with whatever mess has been unleashed; and especially, if you expect us to risk our identities, you will protect our wives."

"I already know your identities." Fury reminded him.

"Maybe." He didn't seem too preoccupied by that fact. "But you won't have our help unless you hold on to your end of this bargain. We both also know Goblin can make your life… difficult if you go back on your word and I… neither of us are pushovers either."

The rest of us could only watch the exchange. Whoever Spider-Man was, and he sounded young, he had obviously made arrangements with Fury, with S.H.I.E.L.D., to keep his wife safe, and not only her but also the wife of the Goblin. I knew very little about the other character. There had been a villain, one Spider-Man had faced in fact, seven or eight years before, he was known as the Green Goblin… I knew that the Goblin Spider-Man was talking about wasn't the same one who had been his enemy, though I did not know what the connection between the two might be. Still, for them to have a deal with S.H.I.E.L.D., when they didn't already work as Agents, or consultants, they either were very good, or the situation had Fury desperate enough.

"I don't plan to go back on my word." Fury informed the hero calmly. "Your wives may proceed to the S.H.I.E.L.D. apartments; second to last floor, ask for Special Agent Kathryn Adler. Mrs. Stark and Mrs. Banner will already be there, as well as several children."

"Will they be safe there?" Spider-Man inquired, suddenly completely serious.

"For the time being." Fury told him. "If the situation escalates or the danger moves from its current location in the South, closer to us, there are protocols for their evacuation, as well as that of most of our civilian assets."

He was talking about people like Jane, Loki and I; that is, of course, unless he decided our assistance was needed for whatever the reason.

Spider-Man spoke briefly into what looked like a comm. unit before finally slipping inside the conference room. What surprised us all was when he then extended his hand out, catching a figure in black metallic armor as he was falling and pulling him inside. We all just watched in shock at the maneuver.

"Spider-Man and Goblin reporting for duty, sir." They quipped in unison.

Stark actually laughed out loud at that, as did Darcy; Loki, Thor and I just smirked.

"Report properly." Fury ordered.

There was a second or two of hesitation before Spider-Man pulled off his mask, closely followed by the Goblin taking off his metal-helmet. We could see the real them then: a pair of young men in their mid twenties, one brunette and the other with auburn hair, both with light eyes. They were young, the youngest in the room.

"My name is Peter Parker." The brunette, Spider-Man, introduced himself. "He is my best friend, Harry Osborn."

"From OsCorp…" Stark stated, not asked. "Interesting."

"You're not the only billionaire to choose to go down this road." Harry told Stark in a rather emotionless tone. "Of course, that's where our similarities end. I'm quite sure that the things that brought us to this point are very different."

"Indeed…" Stark seemed to ponder a bit before adding. "Neither you nor your father were ever called 'Merchant of Death'."

"True." Harry conceded before adding in a dark tone. "Yet Howard Stark was never known by the world as a super-villain." He took a deep breath before finishing to the room in general. "My father was the Green Goblin."

"So that's where the tech comes from!" Darcy exclaimed brightly.

"It's more than just technology." The redhead admitted. "There was also a drug involved, a serum in gas form…"

"Serum…?" Rogers and Banner asked at the same time.

"Yes." Harry answered the unasked question. "That kind of serum. It enhances the senses, the physical capabilities: speed, strength, endurance; it also poisons the mind, little by little. At least, the first version of the serum did…"

"First version…" That raised even more questions.

"The one my father used." Harry explained. "He was sick and refused to keep waiting for tests to be made. Especially considering what had happened with the first try…"

"Dr. Connors, the Lizard." Peter qualified before any question was made. "That serum was lost after Connors was stopped; but other tries were made. The most successful one resulted in the creation of the Goblin-serum."

"My father went insane because of it, and maybe his sickness had something to do as well." Harry went on with the story. "It's how the Green Goblin came to be. If Peter hadn't stopped him… lets just say things could have been much worse."

"And you're a goblin now…" Bruce commented.

"It was an accident." Harry sighed. "I was furious one night, began breaking things in the penthouse to vent out; I didn't know there was a concealed room where my father had kept vials of the serum, among other things. I came in contact with it…"

"Why didn't we know any of this?" Stark interrupted, turning to Fury. "We could have done something about it!"

"I didn't need you to do anything about it!" Harry hissed at him. "I already had help."

"Me." Once again Peter spoke before the question could be made. "I majored in both engineering and biochemistry; and my wife in biochemistry and biophysics. We couldn't undo the serum's effect, however, she believed that we could mutate it some, enough that it wouldn't destroy the brain-cells anymore."

"And it worked." Jane whispered, shocked.

"It worked." Peter agreed with a smile.

"They're geniuses." Harry commented as if it were obvious.

"Why do they not work for me then?" Stark downright pouted. "I like geniuses working for me. Just ask Bruce here!"

"Because they work for me." Harry deadpanned. "Benefit of having gone to high-school with them. I knew they were geniuses before anyone else did, got first dibs. Well… technically Dr. Connors got first dibs on them, but still."

A low beep was heard and instantly Peter had a hand on his ear, where a comm. was hidden.

"Alright." He began talking into it. "You have to stay there Gwen… I know, I don't like it either, but this isn't the Lizard, or the Green Goblin, or even Dr. Oc; this is much worse, bigger, more dangerous… yes, more dangerous than the Green Goblin in Queensboro bridge… You have to stay safe, it's the only way Harry and I can focus on this… if things get worse you will all be moved… they will keep you safe…" He made a pause, sighing. "You know I cannot promise you that Gwen; you know as well as I, better than I even, just how dangerous this is… I promise I will do my best, we both will… You and M.J. stay safe."

"Gwen didn't like staying behind?" Harry guessed.

"She reminded me that the last time I tried to push her away she almost got killed anyway." Peter muttered. "But this time it's different."

"It's why we agreed to make a deal with S.H.I.E.L.D." Harry added before turning to the rest of the room. "We never wanted to reveal our real identities to anyone. I have been perfectly alright with being the Goblin, in secret, for the last three years; and Peter has been Spider-Man for much longer than that!"

"Nine years." Peter qualified.

"But you must have been a kid when you began!" Darcy cried out.

She might have been the one to voice it, but I'm quite sure we were all thinking it.

Peter just shrugged, not offering any additional information, I wondered if he worried he would be treated as less for being younger. Among the rest of us I was the youngest at 29 years old, and I was continually underestimated (though that might also have been because I was so small, barely above five feet tall!).

Some of those present seemed to still be waiting for more information to be given; but some of us knew it was more important to get to the matter at hand; after all, there must be a reason why we were on a Level 7, Defcon 2 emergency!

"So, it appears we're all here now." Loki spoke up. "What exactly is going on?"

"We're being attacked by non-human entities." Fury threw the bomb immediately before turning to the controls before him. "These are the last few minutes our security cameras managed to record; before being completely destroyed, along with the entire facility."

Before we could ask what facility exactly he was talking about, a video appeared on the screens embedded into the table, right in front of each of us. It was black and white, clearly a video-feed from a security camera; at first time the place seemed to be just an empty warehouse. The shocking part came when a vortex of sorts appeared in the center. A harsh wind began moving the debris abandoned near a corner of the warehouse, even though there was no logical reason for it. Then a spiral of light began growing, a vortex of darkness forming in the very middle of it. It rippled, as if there was too much heat on its surface, but we could still see through and into the darkness inside the abyss…

"Those points of light…" Romanoff began.

"Are those stars?" Barton and Phil asked almost at the same time.

"The abyss…" Loki and I couldn't help but gasp at the same time.

"What…?" Almost everyone in the room turned to look at us right away.

"That video is from the facility in New Mexico, isn't it?" Jane asked in a strained voice.

"How would you know that, Dr. Foster?" Hill inquired, surprised.

She didn't answer, instead the five of us (including Darcy) could only turn to look at each other in growing horror. We knew, with absolute certainty what was happening, we'd seen it coming for the last nine years; and we also had a pretty good idea of why it had begun right there:

"The window…" We all said at the same time.

"Do with the splainy please?" Stark more ordered than asked.

"Nine years ago, we finalized nearly seven months of research and work with the creation of what was called the Foster-window." Jane chose to be the one to explain. "We theorized it would allow us to communicate with other realms; though our priority was Asgard, what with Thor being here, with no Bifrost and no way to communicate with his people… We'd been preparing for the final step for weeks, and finally, that day we activated it. It…"

"Failed." Stark finished for her. "It failed, right? That's what the files say."

None of us were actually surprised at his words, it was well known that he had the habit of hacking into S.H.I.E.L.D. files at least once a month.

"Yeah… that's not exactly true." Jane admitted sheepishly.

"Why do the files say that, then?" Stark asked, confused.

"For security reasons." Darcy told him. "Only those of us who were there that night, along with Phil and Director Fury, even knew what really happened."

"And what happened?" Bruce was curious.

"It worked." We all said at the same time.

"Silbhé and Luka weren't actually there." Darcy qualified. "She was giving birth to Rose at the time, Luka and Kathryn were with her. Thor, Jane and I were leading the activation of the window. We'd been preparing for it for so long, we had all security measures in place. They just weren't enough in the end."

"We turned it on." Jane continued. "A hole in time and space actually opened right in the middle of the frame we'd prepared to it, except instead of seeing Asgard, all we saw was… darkness. Five seconds later the window blew up, along with half the lab; that actually wasn't the fault of anyone on the other side. Someone on ours planted an explosive device. It was some religious group that didn't like that we were trying to prove theories about other worlds, particularly one with people some still refer to as gods… Anyway, that part isn't really important. What's important is what actually was on the other side of that window."

"The darkness that could be seen there… the abyss." Thor chose to say the last part, probably because Loki and I couldn't. "It's what you humans know as outer-space. We call it the abyss, the space off Yggdrassil, where no living being can exist… or at least that used to be our belief." He took a deep breath before adding something unexpected. "My brother… Loki always believed otherwise. He had a theory, about being so powerful they could actually exist in the abyss, might have always existed in it."

"The Titans Dr. Hveðrungr and Professor Salani-Hveðrungr wrote those papers on, years ago." Barton realized.

"When Thor and Darcy told us they believed they might have seen something in that darkness, beyond the points of light that might have been stars… we decided we rather be safe than sorry." My husband half-explained with a shrug. "Silbhé had had a theory mixing the Titans of Greek Mythology with the abyss Thor had told us about… we ran with that."

"So… you taught something that might not be true at all?" Barton asked, confused.

"Better safe than sorry." I almost hissed at him.

"And as it turns out, there is more truth than lie to the theory, isn't there?" Loki signaled to the frozen image in the video.

It was the end of the feed; a humanoid-alien figure after having just emerged from the vortex, raising what looked like a spear of some sort and waving it around: destruction followed.

"So, according to your theory, what are we facing then?" Stark wanted to know.

"We do not know." I admitted. "Titans are one thing. But trust me, if at least half of our theories are right, those things aren't it."

"What makes you so sure?" Romanoff inquired, intrigued.

"Because the whole world would be feeling it right now." Loki deadpanned. "Titans are before and beyond even the Aesir. They are the origin of the Aesir, and also the very realms; at least if we followed myth right."

"Then what is that?!" Hill demanded pointing at the video.

"My best guess right now?" I didn't wait for an answer. "Well, we can imagine that more than one came through the vortex. I would guess that it's either the remains of a race that lost its planet so long ago it's not among those known to be a part of Yggdrassil, or they never had a realm in the first place… still, the fact that they're capable of surviving in the abyss makes me favor more the 'lost planet' theory. Regarding strength… I wouldn't know, other than they're obviously powerful enough to survive in such an inhospitable environment as the abyss… and also enough to be considered of use by a Titan…"

There, I'd somehow managed to include everything Loki had ever read in ancient texts regarding the possible invaders, all except the name; and without having to reveal a thing about my match, justifying everything as theories and cross-matching mythologies! It felt so satisfying to be able to get away with it!

"Ok, lets assume all these theories are true." Stark declared. "Why New Mexico?"

"Because that's where the window was opened!" Darcy declared as if it should be obvious. "The last time there was a tear in space, at least in our world."

"It is quite possible that they followed the trace left behind by it." Loki nodded with a seemingly careless shrug.

"What can we expect them to do now?" Hill wanted to know.

"That depends on their intentions." I told her. "The way I see it, there are two possibilities: either they are simple-minded destroyers; they will attack anything and everything in their path, causing indiscriminate destruction and chaos…"

I couldn't find the right words to say the rest.

"Or they will try to track down someone, either following power, or if they happened to see just who was on the other side of the window that day…" Loki finished for me.

"So that means they will either begin destroying everything at any moment; or we can expect them to come this way in search of Dr. Foster, Point Break and Darcy." Stark summarized.

"Pretty much." I nodded uneasily because, if the creatures picked up our signal, Loki and I might be in just as much danger…

"Thor." Fury called abruptly. "If I remember correctly, when you first returned to our planet, you said that the Bifrost had been broken during a battle between you, and your brother Loki. You also stated that Loki fell off the edge of that same bridge and into the abyss…" He seemed to ponder for a second before finishing. "What I'm trying to get to here is… what chance is there that Loki might be the one leading these enemies? A retaliation, either against you or against Earth as a whole…"

"My brother would never do that!" Thor cried out vehemently.

No, Loki wouldn't, but we didn't really have a way to prove it; nobody knew the truth about Luka, and the only thing most knew about Loki was that he was behind the Destroyer's attack in Puente Antiguo and had been the mastermind behind Thor's exile, had even lied to the God of Thunder for whatever the reason… no, there was no way to prove my match was innocent, and every reason to believe him guilty.

"Whoever might be leading this… alien army…" Rogers shook his head slightly, as if he still had trouble processing it all. "Whoever it might be, it doesn't change that there is a hostile group that has already invaded our world and will begin an attack at any moment; whether against all or just a few of us remains to be seen; still doesn't change the fact that they must be stopped. Soon."

Well, he was right on that front. Didn't mean I wasn't going to worry about my love being found out, but at least S.H.I.E.L.D. would be focusing on something else…

For a few seconds not a word was spoken, until the Black Widow broke the silence.

"You brought us all here together, only us, no other Agent level 7 or above." She pointed out, eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Few people know this but, after the events of 2006 in Alcatraz Island, and especially after the appearance of, lets say, independent individuals with 'special' abilities, S.H.I.E.L.D. began preparing a response team." Fury announced. "The idea was to bring together a group of… remarkable individuals who had the ability to deal with situations n… humans couldn't always handle. The project was tentative up to 2010, when a possible list of members was compiled… however, the World Council never truly gave the go ahead for the project. By the following year the two biggest groups of mutants had somehow managed to ally under one sole group, under the conjunct leadership of the returned Professor Charles Xavier, and a man no one knows much about except that he's a survivor of Auschwitz, the Professor's partner and has some kind of connection to the disappeared Magneto: Max Eisenhardt…"

It took all my will not to spit out the sip of water I'd taken right then, either that or choke on it; and I could sense the tension on a few more people in the room. I hadn't the slightest idea how, after so many years, S.H.I.E.L.D. still hadn't caught up to the fact that Professor Xavier's partner (as mutant leader and personally) was in fact Erik Lehnsherr… but I wasn't about to reveal that fact to them either. I knew very well the treatment they would give the former leader of the Brotherhood of Mutants if they ever caught up to him, and while it was true that he had done a lot to hurt people… I also understood why he'd done it, at least to a point: fear for not only oneself but also those who believe in you, in your ability to protect them, was a very powerful thing.

"In any case, the World Council didn't believe it wise to sponsor a group that might be swayed to the X-Men's side, or even worse, end up being moles inside S.H.I.E.L.D." Fury went on. "However, the list remained…"

With a signal from him new images appeared in the screens before each of us, along with holographic profiles floating in the middle of the table itself. It was quite easy to recognize who was there, they were all present in the room: Captain America, Thor, Iron-Man, Hulk, Spider-Man, Goblin, Hawkeye and Black Widow. Above the profiles the legend "Avengers Initiative" shone in bright blue letters.

"Avengers…?" Rogers and Banner asked at the same time. "It sounds…"

"Corny." Darcy and Stark deadpanned at the same time.

"Some would say the idea of superheroes is corny, even old-fashioned… but that might be just what we need right now." Fury insisted.

"Why try and form a new group?" Loki inquired. "Why not call in someone who already has experience dealing with… supernatural matters? Like the X-Men, or the Fantastic Four?"

"The Fantastic Four are retired and…" Hill began formally.

"And the X-Men cannot stand S.H.I.E.L.D." Stark finished what she'd hesitated to say.

"What?!" Some weren't expecting that.

"Didn't you know?" The billionaire seemed to actually derive some kind of pleasure from revealing the truth. "S.H.I.E.L.D. has, historically, been in a negative position regarding mutants. It is believed by some that they were even supporting Trask and his views when he was working in his Sentinel project… of course that all went down when no engineering company agreed to work with him. In fact… if I remember correctly Stark Industries and OsCorp were the ones who spoke loudest against his projects." He nodded respectfully at Harry.

"I may be a businessman, but I'm not hypocrite." Harry deadpanned. "I don't exactly classify as a mutant, neither does Peter, due to the origins of our abilities; but we're realistic enough to know there is a serious possibility that our children might be that exactly."

"My daughter is a mutant." Stark stated openly. "That's no secret. A technopath from a very young age, and we have reason to believe she might develop a second, active ability by the time she hits her teens."

"Our children are mutants as well." Jane added supportively, signaling to the four of us.

It was true: in David it wasn't too clear yet, aside from enhanced physical abilities, as he was still so young, but Svein had begun displaying that we considered might be wind-manipulation; Rose was the most surprising, considering who her parents were: she could control fire! We were all very proud of them. They weren't attending Xavier's school, as control came naturally to them, and neither Jane nor I liked the idea of sending them to boarding school (also, it was dangerous considering just who we all were); however, they knew Professor Xavier and his X-Men, and we had taken them to Westchester a few times either for aid with their abilities (Pyro, the former Brotherhood member and later X-Men, being a pyrokinetic, had a better understanding of Rose's powers than any of us), or just to have some fun with other children who were like them. Vika, Stark's daughter, usually joined us in those trips.

"Our children might not study in the Xavier Institute, but we still have an amicable relationship." Loki added calmly. "And may I just say you're all stupid if you don't at least inform Xavier of the situation. If worse comes to worst and S.H.I.E.L.D. cannot stop this invasion you will need to have a second front."

"I will ring Professor Xavier as soon as we're done here and I have a better idea of what the plan is for handling this matter." I decided.

Surprisingly enough, Fury didn't complain (not that it would have changed my decision).

"So, what is the plan?" Rogers inquired, all ready for business.

"That's up to you." Fury informed them with surprising honesty. "After all, if these invaders are half of what Dr. Hveðrungr and Professor Salani-Hveðrungr expect, you're the only ones capable of going against them successfully."

"Are you sure there's nothing else we need to know, Fury?" Stark insisted.

"The details we have on file regarding the abilities of each of you will be available on files for your use on the quinjet that will be taking you all to New Mexico." Hill stated. "As you probably understand, time is of essence at this moment. The sooner you all depart, the better for us all."

"Then we better suit up." Rogers and Stark called at the same time.

After the heroes left Fury, Hill, Phil, Darcy, Jane, Loki and I were the only ones left in the room.

"What about us?" I made the obvious question.

"Agents Coulson and Lewis, I will need you to go with the group to New Mexico." The Director announced straight out. "We need someone to coordinate things, both with this group and with whoever might be left from our facility in New Mexico, as well as to check in with the facility in Arizona as soon as possible."

The order seemed perfectly reasonable, until Phil flinched slightly at the last part of it; I doubted anyone besides Loki, Darcy and I noticed, though for us it was certainly telling… something was wrong, something else, that Fury wasn't saying.

I had a fierce instinct in that moment, so intense I could almost call it a premonition; I knew, without a sliver of doubt, that the time I'd feared for ten years was finally coming. The end of life as we knew it, before the end of the mess something would happen that would make continued hiding impossible; I didn't know what, when, why, but I knew it would happen. The end, of our lives, our secrets, our dreams…

**xXx Darcy's POV xXx**

I am in love with a spy… and that has consequences. I knew that, had known it all along. Since I first met him, when I was nothing more than a Poli-Sci student in need of six science credits before she could graduate; while he was already the right-hand to the leader of the most powerful, world-class, secret intelligence agency…

So yeah, I was in love with one of the best spies ever, and there were obvious consequences. It wasn't only the difference in age, the fact that he was a little over two decades older than me; had done, seen, experienced, so much I didn't know, would never fully understand. There was also the fact that our jobs put limits on us, on how much we could share with anyone, even each other. I might have been his assistant for years, and eventually became his partner; but still, there are things we just cannot share.

I knew he kept secrets, not because he wanted but because he had to. It was part of our job, nothing we could do to change it (except, maybe, quit; and we both liked our jobs too much to do that). To be fair, I too kept secrets from him, at least one: the real identity of Luka Hveðrungr, the fact that he was really Loki, brother of Thor.

It was something I found out by accident, on the same day Silbhé gave birth to their daughter: Rose. I don't think it was something they ever meant for me to know. Jane already knew, of course, but she was dating Thor, she would eventually become Loki's sister-in-law, so that was to be expected. I cannot begin to imagine how I would have reacted to such a discovery under normal circumstances, but in that moment, seeing Loki holding his young, exhausted wife in his arms, after having teleported straight across the room in an instant to catch her right as she'd tripped and almost hit her head; with him holding her so carefully, looking at her as if she were the most valuable treasure in the whole world, in all the worlds… I just couldn't reconcile that image with the madman (or mad-god) who had presumably caused Thor's banishment from Asgard and later on sent a robot-like creature at least three floors tall to destroy Puente Antiguo and, supposedly, all of us.

I still hadn't been able to process anything by the time Jane, Thor and I had to go into the lab for the final test and activation of the Foster-window. The moment came, the window was opened, for five seconds we got a glimpse into another world… and then it all blew up. Thor, Jane and I were so close… we should have died. But we didn't. We survived the unsurvivable, and all thanks to the magical protection bracelets gifted to us by Loki… how could I ever believe him evil, a monster, after that?

Then they all explained it to me. How Loki pretty much had a nervous breakdown after finding out he was adopted. And what's the problem with that? I mean, my father was crap, never even knew him, and my mother was so focused on making sure I had a better life than her that she was hardly ever around. Stark and I may joke, mostly, about him being my father, but truth is he's more family to me than anyone I've known to actually share my blood. At least he had a family that loved him, even if Odin wasn't all he could and should have been, even Loki himself has admitted that he never doubted his mother's love.

In any case, things took a turn for the insane and lethal; after the two brothers almost killed each other while battling on the Bifrost. It only ended up when the Rainbow Bridge was destroyed and the two were hanging off the edge of it. When Loki explained, with the most transparently honest expression I've ever seen on his face, how Thor had chosen to abandon his father and risk death in a fall into the abyss, rather than letting his brother fall on his own… I was moved. Suddenly I understood why Thor and 'Luka' had seemed to grow so close so quickly, why Thor had taken such care for Silbhé… she was his little sister, baby Rose was his niece…

Days later, when Loki had asked for permission to see into my mind I was nervous; the last thing I wanted was to make things awkward because of my thoughts, because of my past doubts and fears… But I also knew it was important, Thor thought he'd seen something in the darkness in the Foster-window, and I thought I'd as well, but I didn't trust my own memories. So, in the end, I allowed for Loki to look through them, and he confirmed our beliefs, our fears: there was someone on the other side, and they were watching.

I thought it was insane not giving S.H.I.E.L.D. all the information concerning the Chitauri, as rare as they might be, as much as even the Asgardians might consider them almost myth… it was too dangerous for us not to have that information! As it turned out I was quite impressed of everything Silbhé and Loki managed to reveal without ever giving themselves or the true nature of their knowledge up. All they missed in the end was the creatures' name! And it's not like it was that important in the grand scheme of things.

Finally, the time had come, we were being invaded. I never expected to be sent along with the team in charge of taking the aliens down, especially considering that all of them were super-powered in one way or another (either elite training, technology, a mutation, a gift, whatever). Phil and I were the only ones 100% human, with no extreme training or abnormal talents, and they expected us to be in charge of the operation! Talk about insane expectations!

On the way we all read the packages Hill had prepared beforehand; profiles on each member of the newly formed 'Avengers' team; gifts, weaknesses, most common strategies. It was a lot of information, some toeing the line between professional and personal; however, I could see how it was necessary: S.H.I.E.L.D. expected eight individuals (not including Phil and I) to work as a team to bring down an extraterrestrial army, when they had never worked together before (aside from the known partnerships of Spider-Man & Goblin, as well as Hawkeye & Black Widow), some hadn't even met before!

Things went crazy the moment we reached the New Mexico desert.

"Open the hatchet!" Captain America ordered s he got unstrapped himself. "Parachutes everyone. It might be safer for the pilots if we jump."

The pilots, actually, were Phil and I. Hawkeye and Black Widow were another pair that could fly the quinjet together, but as they would be fighting, it was better for us to take care of it. Besides, Phil and I still had to get close enough to the S.H.I.E.L.D. facility in the area, enough to ascertain its condition and report it back; then we had to get to Arizona, there was another base there, a few miles from a town called Holbrook… or that's what our orders said, I'd never known of any S.H.I.E.L.D. facility in the area, which could only mean one thing: it was highly classified, above my rank even, and considering that I was Level 8, and could assume Level 9 in Phil's absence (and had a big chance of being awarded, officially, Level 9 soon); that meant the facility was either Level 9 or 10; other Level 9s, aside from Phil, being Maria Hill, Kathryn, and a number of highly important consultants: like Jane and Silbhé; the only Level 10 was Fury himself, though Phil could access it on the same manner I could access Level 9, and rumors had it one other person had given a special code to use in case of an emergency, though the gossip couldn't agree if it was supposed to be Agent Hill or Kathryn.

While the Captain, Black Widow, Hawkeye and Dr. Banner retrieved the aforementioned piece of equipment to get off the jet, Iron-Man simply arranged his faceplate (he was already wearing the rest of the helmet) shooting off; Thor spun Mjolnir several times in hand before jumping off as well (while he was no longer immortal, most of his powers were still intact).

We were supposed to just leave the Avengers there to fight before moving on ourselves… of course, the great plans of mice and men and all that… I thought we'd already cleared the possible area of the battle, I was wrong. Before I knew what was going on we found ourselves hit by a blue bolt of light; it hardly even clipped the wing of the quinjet, and yet somehow it scrambled one of the engines and the instruments enough that Phil and I were forced to land or risk crashing instead. Even then the landing was more than a bit rough.

"Great, just great." Phil muttered darkly. "Just what we needed."

"Come on Phil, don't be so gloomy, not all is lost." I told him lightly as I unstrapped myself and stood from my seat. "I know the mission is important, but the situation is what it is. Why don't you try raising the guys in Arizona, try and get an idea of how things are on that front, while I work on getting us airborne again?"

I was wearing what could easily be defined as a jumpsuit, along with a cowl, thick boots and full gloves. They inner layer was soft cotton, while the outer was dark leather, the middle was in fact metal, turning the jumpsuit into a form of armor. It was a special alloy, created by Tony, a lesser form of the titanium-gold used for his Iron-Man suits; it made the whole jumpsuit bulletproof knife-proof, it was also non-conductive and fire-proof at least to a certain level. They were standard issue for all Level 7 and above Agents in S.H.I.E.L.D. (even some of the lesser ranked Agents used them when on especially risky missions).

While in the beginning S.H.I.E.L.D. might have taken me in because I was Jane's assistant (the only one who applied, as she always said); eventually my Poli-Sci degree had been helpful, while helping Phil with his duties (and even that didn't make any easier dealing with some of the people we were to interact with). Next was my ability as a hacker, which was specially valued, as S.H.I.E.L.D. had few hackers worth anything. Also after over a year working with Jane, seeing all the things being built to try and make her theories a reality, I got curious; that curiosity only grew after I met Tony and began seeing him as a father figure, until he offered to sponsor me and I earned my degree in Electrical Engineering.

I knew why Phil was so stressed out. It had taken even the quinjet, with all its advances, an hour and a half to make the flight from New York to north New Mexico (about half the time the best commercial airline took traveling that same distance in a direct flight). Still, adding that time, to the time the debriefing had taken, and then getting ready for the trip… the invaders had at least a two hour, possible two and a half hours advantage over us. That was never a good prospect when we consider the hostile, potentially war-level situation we were facing.

Even then, I couldn't work on repairs faster than anyone else could have. I had an advantage, true, Tony had created the quinjets and I had worked with him in the latest two models which, of course, included the one we were flying; that meant I knew the vessel in and out. Still, I was only one person, which meant I could only do so much at once.

I had been working for almost a quarter of an hour, and was in that moment half buried inside the main engine, hoping to be able to get in to work in fifteen more minutes (then I would be able to check over the relays and instruments); when I heard Phil approach.

"We have a situation." He stated straight out.

"How bad?" I inquired, not stopping my work, if things were bad it was even more important that I finished as fast as possible.

"No one is answering in the Holbrook base; not on the usual S.H.I.E.L.D. channels, not even on the emergency ones." Phil explained.

I sighed, that was definitely a bad situation. If no one was answering, not even on the emergency channels, it meant one of two things: either communications were down or the base was empty, and while I could always hope the base was empty because they were all working outside on something… in that moment the best we could hope for was for them to have evacuated the facilities, the worst… I didn't even want to contemplate. Of course, even thinking that would be enough to jinx us…

"Give me a hand here." I told Phil. "The faster we get done here the faster we can get to Holbrook and find out what the hell is going on."

In the end it took us almost an hour to have the quinjet fully ready for flight again. It was also at that point that my personal phone began ringing. The ring was AC/DC's Shoot to Thrill which made quite obvious just who was calling.

"Dad?" I asked, confused. "Everything alright?"

"It depends." He replied in what I recognized as a rather tense tone, especially for him. "The battle is pretty much wrapped up around here… These guys may have numbers, but they aren't too powerful or coordinated…"

"That's great!" I exclaimed, all for focusing on the positive.

"Yes, but according to the shiny little device Dr. Foster gave Point Break before we left New York, the aliens didn't stay here…" Tony informed me. "According to the trace we've been able to detect a considerable number of them headed west…"

"Shit!" I cursed.

"What?" Instantly Phil had at my side.

"Dad, Phil and I had a little mishap with the quinjet." I informed him, talking fast enough for him not to interrupt me with worries. "We weren't hurt and it's all sorted out now, no need to worry on that front. But we were instructed to head West, after New Mexico, to check on another S.H.I.E.L.D. facility in Arizona, and if you say that you detected a trace of the aliens heading in that direction precisely…"

"I understand." He agreed. "We'll be there ASAP."

"Should we delay any longer?" Phil questioned me. "We already know things are bad, and if Tony's suspicions hold…"

"All the more reason to make sure we're not alone." I told him. "If a battle is taking place there we are going to need the help."

He obviously knew I was right at least on that for he nodded before going back inside the quinjet to get it ready for takeoff. The moment the last of the Avengers were on the jet we were off for the next S.H.I.E.L.D. base.

"Have you reported with the Director?" Hawkeye inquired of his handler.

"I reported with Fury the moment I was unable to raise the Agents posted in Arizona." Phil informed everyone. "He told me to inform you he was ordering an evacuation. All essential staff, as well as the women and children will be moved to the helicarrier. Once they're invisible and off the radar it'll be the safest place on the planet."

It would be, and of course, they would have Loki and Silbhé to protect them if it ever became absolutely necessary (though I hoped it wouldn't); Kathryn too, and Happy, Pepper was no slouch either and I didn't expect any of the other wives to be (they couldn't be, married to such individuals, standing by their sides knowing how complicated such a life was).

Holbrook, Arizona turned out to be worse than what I could have ever imagined as the 'worst case scenario'. From the vantage point of the airborne jet we were able to see the blackened sands, the ground so burnt there were points where the dessert had been burnt so badly it'd turned to glass. And others, where living beings, plants, animals, were supposed to have been, and I instinctively knew there would be none for generations to come. A beep brought me out of my musings, announcing we had reached our destination.

"These are the coordinates of the base." I announced out-loud.

It was only after those words had left my mouth that I realized their significance. We were standing over what was essentially flat ground, black, with poisonous smoke all around. Not even ruins were left. I couldn't help it, I began trembling almost violently the moment the realization hit: the degree of destruction… it was terrifying. Never in my whole life, not even in all the years I had been a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent had I felt truly frightened, after living through the Destroyer's attack with nothing more than a few scraps I doubted anything could truly terrify me… I learnt the truth that day, with an image that would forever be imprinted in my pupils: the absolute destruction wrought by those alien creatures. And the most horrifying part of all was that they were no longer there!

"Oh my god…" Banner gasped at the sight.

"Gwen…" Spider-Man's mind seemed to immediately turn to his wife.

"All high ranked Agents, as well as the civilian assets and your families were evacuated to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s helicarrier the moment we suspected something might be wrong with this base." Phil informed him quite calmly as he began manipulating the quinjet.

"Those things came after this base…" Tony muttered, obviously beginning to connect facts. "Why? Why did they do that? What was in this base that called to them so strongly when Silbhé's and Luka's theories had them going either after Point Break, his wife, or my daughter?" His gaze zeroed in of us S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents. "What aren't we being told?"

"Stark…" Captain America began in a warning tone.

"Don't Capsicle." Tony interrupted him. "I know I'm right. This is exactly like the mess that took place back 2013 when wiki-leaks revealed that S.H.I.E.L.D. was trying to replicate the secret weapons HYDRA and the Nazis used back in WWII. And what a mess that was! We all know S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn't have survived the fall-out of that revelation if it weren't for Darcy and her extensive PR work."

"And cashing in a shit load of favors." I deadpanned.

That one had truly been a nightmare, probably the only time I ever truly regretted being a Poli-Sci and especially working for S.H.I.E.L.D.

"What I want to know right now is just how bad this is gonna get." Tony went back to the main topic. "And how much of a chance we have of putting a stop to it all before it really gets out of our hands and the whole planet pays the price!"

That sobered everyone right up as they turned to look at Phil and I; of course, as Phil was mostly focused on the quinjet I was the one actually facing them.

"I honestly don't know." I admitted in a low tone. "Whatever it was, it's above my clearance."

Even with my lack of information, I knew my response was enough to let them know there really was something; something important enough that the information about it was tightly controlled; not that it had helped any with the invaders.

"The Tesseract." Phil revealed after what seemed like forever, without turning. "That's what was in this base. The Tesseract…"

"Tesseract?" Several of us repeated.

"Small, glowy blue cube my father fished out of the sea while looking for Captain America?" Stark asked for clarification.

"Exactly." Phil nodded grimly. "Darcy, have the system lock onto the signal from the helicarrier, it's only transmitted on the private channels but you should be able to access it with your codes. If Dr. Selvig, or someone else from the base managed to get out with the Tesseract before they were overrun they will head on that direction, it is standard protocol in case of emergency; and if they didn't… we still need to regroup." He sighed before adding. "Maybe once we get there Jane, Silbhé and Luka will have a better idea on how to handle the current situation."

I did as ordered as I silently hoped things wouldn't get even worse…

"Wait a second." The Goblin called in a chilling tone. "You mean that the place we're heading, where our enemies might be heading, is the same place you evacuated our families to?!"

Yes, they could still get worse.

"You should have left that cursed thing in the ocean." Tony and Rogers hissed almost in unison.

"Jane…" Thor muttered under his breath, before adding another word in a different language.

"Eh… Big guy, calm down please." Spider-Man mumbled quietly.

I could hear the crackling of lightning, the news of the change in the situation were affecting Thor enough he was losing control of his volatile power.

"Natasha, please take Darcy's place." Phil indicated. "Darcy, you're the only one here who can hope to help Thor calm down."

I didn't doubt, immediately un-strapping myself and leaving myself, punching a button to open the hatchet almost as an afterthought, if Thor kept producing more electricity I would rather it went out than stay inside the quinjet; the last thing we needed was a crash due to malfunctioning equipment on top of everything else already going on.

I was careful as I approached him, even if my jumpsuit was non-conductive, I didn't want to startle him and push him into getting worse.

"Hey Big Guy…" I called to him softly. "Thor… everything alright?"

"Those things are going after them." Thor said in a rumbling voice. "They're going after my Jane, and our children and…"

His brother, Silbhé, Rose… I knew the names he couldn't say out-loud.

"They're in this huge danger, over something they have no idea of… I didn't even know the Tesseract was in this realm!" Thor hissed. "It was lost from Asgard so long ago…" He shook his head. "They're in danger, and I have to stand here, being useless…"

"Big Guy…" I really didn't know what else to say.

"I cannot just stand here and do nothing Darcy…" He told me quietly.

As he looked straight at me, his eyes were begging me to understand. I knew the problem. In all the years since he'd been living in Earth he'd barely used his highest abilities. Mostly, whenever he had to fight he used Mjolnir or took advantage of pre-existing weather conditions, We knew that if he were ever to call on the necessary power to actually change the weather it would be like a beacon for Asgard. Heimdall and the Allfather would find him, and would most likely come for him; and if they did, they would find Jane, Loki, Silbhé and the children…

"Lets go then." I stated, standing straight.

Yeah, it was insane, more than insane, and we both knew it. We had also always known the truth come out; and considering how dangerous the situation was, I would rather we all be found out by Asgard than the Chitauri hurting or killing someone because we weren't there to help. I knew Thor thought the same, in an instant he was in full battle regalia, holding me tight against his chest with one arm while with the other he began spinning Mjolnir.

"Darcy…" Tony called doubtfully to me.

"We're going on ahead." I announced, not giving anyone a chance to complain. "Phil! Inform Fury of the situation and that Thor and I will be there to provide backup as soon as we possibly can!" I remembered one thing more and turned to Tony. "Dad! Plan ARS is in my pack!"

Plan ARS… it meant Arc-Reactor Speed. In short, I always carried an arc-reactor with me, a low powered one, for emergencies. It could be used for one of two things: if something happened to Dad's arc reactor I could change one for the other; it would last at least long enough for him to get to one of his labs and exchange it for a proper one. However, the actual plan, the reason I carried it with me, was to give a boost to anything that might need it in an emergency. Like, in that moment, it could be used to give a boost to the quinjet, help them make better speed… Not sure how I didn't remember it sooner… in any case, Thor and I would still get there faster (though them using the arc-reactor meant they wouldn't be that far behind, which was always good, especially considering the circumstances).

"Be careful Darce…" Tony reminded me in a whisper. "Don't take any unnecessary risks…"

"Of course not." I replied cheekily. "Only the truly necessary ones!"

He groaned loudly; but really, with his own track record where risks were concerned, especially necessary/unnecessary ones, what did he expect?

I was forced to cut our conversation short when I felt Thor's hold on my waist tightening as harsh winds began tossing the few locks of brunette hair to have escaped my bun, around my head; I reacted instinctively, reaching up with my arms to hold onto Thor's shoulders.

"Hold on tight Darcy." He reminded me.

And just like that, he jumped clear off the quinjet; then, before I could truly begin to feel the fall, in a twist of wind and crack of thunder we were gone.

**xXx 3****rd**** Person POV xXx**

In that very moment, in a world filled with tall, golden constructions, a seemingly eternal realm; on the edge of a crystal, multi-colored bridge that appeared to have been viciously shattered for whatever the reason, stood a dark-skinned man in golden armor. Below him crystalline waters ran to the edge of the world, where they fell into empty space; and there, among the stars, was where his gaze seemed to remain, unwavering until, abruptly, his eyes widened, as he caught sight of something he could have never imagined, something he hadn't seen in a decade, and had begun to believe he might never seen again: the forming of a thunderstorm out of nowhere, the use of a power the golden-armored could identify as well as he did his own.

"Allfather!" He called, strongly, yet not loudly, as if he were speaking to a man standing at the moment right at his side. "I can see him, my lord. Prince Thor has been found!"

And just like that, came the answer; as if the man speaking the words, none other than Odin Allfather himself, were truly standing right beside the Guardian.

"Well done Heimdall." Odin spoke softly but powerfully. "The day has finally come. My beloved son has been found… and in Midgard no less!"

"Will you arrange for him to be brought back, my lord?" Heimdall inquired.

"Yes, of course." Odin agreed immediately. "Lady Sif and the Warriors Three shall be good for this mission. My son is coming back home…"

That was the plan, of course, he didn't know Thor wasn't the only son of his living in Midgard, or that his heir might have reason, or more than one, not to want to go back.

* * *

So yeah, each person makes their own plans, caring little about how it may not fit someone else's plan...

Once again, if you have trouble understanding anything, let me know and I'll see what I can do to make it better (some things you might not understand because they will be coming up later...)

Next Chapter: They always knew it would happen, the day when they would be _Found_... but what's worse, to be found by Thanos, or by Asgard? They honestly do not know.


	3. Found

Warnings you need for this fic, and that will apply for the rest of the Nightingale-verse (unless I say otherwise).

* In Iron-Man 3 Tony says he can finish the equation, regarding Extremis. I've always taken that to mean that he can perfect Extremis, as oppose to simply 'cure' it. Which would mean that a certain someone has the perfect version of it by now (and if you don't know what I'm talking about, you haven't seen IM3, and this will have a bunch of spoilers regarding that).

* In Incredible Hulk it is said that Bruce turns into the Hulk when his heart-rate goes over 200, or something like that; while in Avengers it is said that he has to get angry. While I can believe that someone might be able to control their own anger in the manner Bruce seems to do in Avengers, I have serious doubts of him being able to control his own heartbeat in the same manner... this is not Saint Seiya! (and if anyone gets what I mean... kudos to you!) Therefore, here the heart-rate has nothing to do, it's all about getting angry.

* As was mentioned in "The Return" and "Nightingale", while I use the Amazing Spider-Man for this, it will only include the first movie, everything after that is my own version of the original trilogy (some of which I went into in 'The Return').

* For the characters of "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." that you will begin seeing in this chapter, imagine them with a past more-or-less like what's shown in the show, except Phil was never believed dead by anyone, and Darcy was in the sidelines ready to provide backup for most of it (she got together with Phil shortly before he formed the team).

Those are enough warnings for now, if you have any doubts (and they aren't things that might come up later on in the fic), let me know and I'll answer them.

* * *

**Found **

We were found, like I always knew we would be. I still wasn't giving up on my match.

Spending an afternoon with the families of a number of less-than-normal individuals was, for the most part, a novel experience. While we had known the Starks and Banners before, that was mostly because of their children: Vika (Age 8) and Rob (Age 9); and the closeness between Darcy and Tony Stark. Sitting around a room, drinking (coffee, tea or chocolate) while talking about past experiences was truly new.

The first two hours had been complicated enough, with Jane, Loki and I going back to our offices to at least try and keep a semblance of work, of a normal day. While it certainly wasn't the first time that either Thor, Darcy or Phil had to go on a mission, even risky ones, never before all of them together, not with the kind of team that had been formed, and certainly not to go after the kind of threat at least Loki and I knew the Chitauri to be.

Then it had only gotten worse. The three of us had finally decided to stop pretending everything was just fine and were sitting together in Loki's office, trying to remain positive, when we were all paged at the same time. As it turns out Phil had reported: the Avengers were battling the alien invaders in New Mexico, he and Darcy were grounded due to a grazing shot and the consequent malfunction, which Darcy was dealing with. The real problem, however, was that when Phil had tried to check in with the Arizona base (hoping that some of the frequencies that couldn't be picked up all the way from New York would work there… there was nothing). A decision had been made: the three of us, along with every Level 7 and above Agent not already on duty were to be evacuated to the helicarrier. Following the deals made with all the 'heroes' so would the women and children waiting in Aunt Kathryn's apartment.

We got there first, and while almost everyone who'd been in the helicopter with us hurried inside the helicarrier right away, Jane, Loki and I waited for the other vehicle. It arrived soon enough. Aunt Kathryn being the first to step down, with Rose following before the two of them helped Svein and David down. After them came Rob and Vika, each holding hands with their mothers: Betty Ross-Banner and Virginia 'Pepper' Potts-Stark. Then there was Happy Hogan, Mrs. Stark's driver and bodyguard, followed by two younger women: a blonde and a redhead, the redhead in particular I could sense was pregnant, though she was only beginning to show; I guessed those two must be Gwen Stacy-Parker and Mary Jane Osborn; Spider-Man's and Goblin's wives.

"Mama! Papa!" Rose called brightly as she saw us.

"Mommy!" David cried out at the same time, seeing his own mom.

"Hiya Mom!" Svein was less childish than his brother in his call, but no less enthusiastic.

"Ladies, I believe we all should get inside." Happy suggested.

We did as told, making sure that the children were always in our line of sight. A couple of Agents guided us all to what looked like a recreation room. There were a few sofas arranged together, carpet beneath our feet. It didn't take long for us to have the children distracted with something while the rest of us kept an eye over them while also chatting among ourselves.

It was possibly the most interesting conversation I'd been a part of in a long while. There was so much to learn from the rest of the women. The lives they lead, lives they'd chosen even known they would be hard, stressful, dangerous… they each had still chosen to walk the path they were on out of love for a man. True, I'd made the same choice, but even then, in the ten years we'd been together, Loki had never put himself in as much danger as the 'Avengers' were in that moment, the same danger they put themselves in practically every single day, for that matter. It was truly something to be admired.

Pepper told us about first becoming Tony's assistant after finding a mathematical mistake he'd made (she was working in the accounting department at the time); her superior had fired her after she had insisted on 'Mr. Stark' making a mistake as, according to the superior, the owner of SI could make no mistakes. Pepper, who'd never been exactly shy, did not hesitate to face Stark with her discovery, going as far as to use her pepper spray against the two security guards at his door when they wouldn't let her in. It was how she'd ended as Tony's PA, and also how he'd come to give her the nickname Pepper. Years later she'd found out that the math mistake was anything but, Tony had done it on purpose to test and seen who in his company has the wits to go up to him when it was necessary, the sheet of paper with the 'bad calculation' had been going around for months by the time Pepper saw it and reacted, no one before her either noticed or cared; which is why Tony offered her the post of PA straight away.

Most of what had happened to Tony Stark since his kidnapping in Afghanistan back in 2009 was well-known. Though Pepper still talked about the shock she'd felt when Tony named her CEO of SI, the fact that it wasn't until much later that she actually learnt he'd been dying at the time. In fact, it was during the heart-wrenching, soul-baring conversation that followed that mostly accidental revelation that those two finally came to accept they loved each other. And then, in 2013, Victoria Mariah Stark was born.

I knew about that, I also knew some of the things that had happened in December that same year: about the so-called Mandarin, the crazy organization A.I.M., Extremis… though Pepper did not say a word about any of that.

Betty contributed to the revelations with her own story: having met Banner when they were working on their respective doctorates (Hers in cellular biology, his in biology and radiation). How they had become part of a military research group being lead by her own father: General 'Thunderbolt' Ross. They thought the research was meant to create some kind of protection from radiation, particularly gamma radiation; a way to protect the innocent, and possibly even cure the diseases caused by radiation poisoning. Things had seemed to be going so well and then… and then someone was threatening to cut the funds, General Ross was livid, and in a desperate attempt to keep the investigation going: Bruce offered himself as a test subject…

It was painful, to hear Betty's account of the explosions, the destruction, seeing the green creature for the first time, not knowing who or what it might be. Waking up in the hospital, an array of burns, a broken arm and a cracked skull her most serious physical injury; though the worst was the emotional one, to discover Bruce was gone, he hadn't even said goodbye… it would be much later when she found out the real reason her boyfriend was gone: the military wanted him, as a prisoner, as a weapon…

The idea of living the next five years without the man you love, knowing next to nothing about him, barely even being able to hope he's alive and well… it was almost more than I could take. I had no idea how Betty had been able to manage it, I don't think I could have. Then the pain and grief changed to wonder as she recounted the memory of seeing him again, in a pizza place own by an old friend, seeing him in their old University, being saved by the Hulk and then… being recognized by him. Realizing that the Hulk was still Bruce, one way or another (even if it would take much longer for him to accept that fact).

The rest of the story was more commonly known (at least for us in S.H.I.E.L.D.) from the mess in Culver University, Betty running with Hulk, to the disaster than had been the Abomination and the battle between the two huge beings in Harlem.

Then came another part of the story that was not known: Betty finding herself pregnant in the aftermath of it all, with Bruce already long gone and no way to contact him; all thanks to one night of passionate love in a hidden motel room… Hiding herself away, afraid of what the military might try to do to her, to her baby, if the truth became known. Having the baby in secret, staying away for months, until a terrible accident in a gas station nearly killed her baby, and instead revealed to her that while he might look perfectly normal, little Robert was as resilient as the Hulk could ever hope to be. Then, finally, taking a risk, approaching her father, a changed man after the mess in Harlem. He couldn't find Bruce, and didn't think it was a good idea with the military still after him (particularly since they were unable to get their hands either on the Abomination or Dr. Stern, before S.H.I.E.L.D. interfered). Still, the General did the best he could, directing Betty to the one man who might be able to help her: Tony Stark. The recently wed millionaire rushed to help her, housing her, helping her protect her son, and eventually bringing her love back to her…

Jane's story was one I already knew well; though the rest seemed quite fascinated by her tale of mythical god-like beings, magic, monsters and love… It made me wish I could share my own story with them, though I knew it could not be. Still, I was pleasantly surprised, and I'm sure my match was too, when Jane took the time to make sure no one would see Loki as the deranged monster so many already believed him to be.

The story of the last two was a bit different. Having been living in New York for almost nine years we had all heard quite a bit about Spider-Man since his first appearance, his fight against Dr. Connors, aka the Lizard, back in 2012. The Goblin was another matter entirely, he'd been around for three years or so; though during his first appearances people had confused him with the Green Goblin, something that had caused mass panic.

Still, it was something to discover that Spider-Man had come to be as an accident, even more so than any of the other heroes we knew. A sixteen-year-old boy snooping around OsCorp's labs, trying to find out something that might solve his long-existing doubts regarding his deceased parents, only to end up being bitten by a genetically-altered spider! Then, his beginning as a vigilante, trying to find the criminal responsible for the death of his uncle, until the Lizard's first attack. The monster had been indiscriminately throwing cars off the bridge, the boy focusing on using his web (biocable created by himself, based on something he'd seen in OsCorp) to hang the vehicles from the edge of the bridge, until a cry for help had called his attention. One of the vans had gone off the bridge, still with a child inside. It was then that Spider-Man had to choose, whether to be a vigilante or a hero… the choice was obvious, at least to us.

While we knew in general terms what had happened between Spider-Man and the Lizard; it was another thing entirely to hear it from the mouth of the young woman who, not even seventeen years of age, and having no special powers whatsoever, had stood up to the villain, and more than once. The same one who had made sure to get everyone out of OsCorp when learning the villain was on its way, only to then stay to finish a serum that would aid Spider-Man in the battle, all the time knowing her life was at risk. The same who had lost her father to that very villain, when he too had stood up to the monster to help the superhuman hero…

That wasn't the last time she'd been in danger either. In fact among us all she seemed to be the one who had been in danger the most. Spider-Man had even tried to push her away once, in an attempt to keep her safe, but it hadn't worked. The next villain had still gone after her for whatever the reason and had almost killed her. The one who'd come the closest to managing exactly that had been none other than the Green Goblin. The armored villain had been standing at the top of a bridge tower in Queensboro Bridge; one hand holding teenaged Gwen, while the other he held a tram with almost a dozen children. The impossible choice, where Spider-Man had somehow managed to pull a miracle, saving them all, almost at the cost of his own life… and, if that wasn't nerve-shattering enough, then had come the revelation that his enemy was none other than his best-friend's father!

The Goblin we'd already heard how he'd come to be, though what we hadn't known was how close he'd come to dying during his first months as the hero; the act that had gained him the title as such, in fact: when he'd saved Spider-Man's life from a ruthless enemy, nearly losing his own in the process. What we hadn't known, and we heard through the mouth of his own wife, was how he'd been faced with the fact that his father was insane, a villain that had come painfully close to killing two of his best-friends, who had injured his (Harry's) own girlfriend… The only reason they'd ever managed to push forward from that was thanks to the emotional support from each other, and because Peter had chosen to take a chance and reveal to his two friends the truth about himself (Gwen had known practically from the very beginning).

Other exploits from Spider-Man, like his battle against Dr. Octopus, Sandman, and various other enemies were well-known, both by S.H.I.E.L.D. and the public in general. As was the fact that both Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy-Parker were scientists, near the very top in OsCorp despite their youth and relatively short careers; Harry Osborn was, of course, the owner and CEO of the company, while Mary Jane Osborn (nee Watson) was in fact a theater actress and model.

"You are all remarkable women, ladies." Aunt Kathryn told them. "It's not easy to walk the path you've chosen, but you do it with pride, and perfect knowledge of the limitations and likely consequences of your choices; not many could have your will, your strength, maybe not even the 'supers' you have chosen to stand by."

I'm sure I wasn't imagining the way she took a moment to look straight at me halfway through her speech; I knew she wasn't just talking about them, it was about me too. She knew the position I'd placed myself in by choosing Loki, knew the consequences that were coming; it wasn't a matter of if, but when, and I had a feeling it would be soon…

"What about you, Special Agent Adler?" Mary Jane inquired, interested. "What is your story?"

"Please, call me Kathryn." My aunt told her immediately. "Everyone does. I am SA mostly in name nowadays." She smiled. "And about my story… well, I was an Agent from age 18 to 33, specially recruited due to the work my parents had done for the British Secret Service. I took my mother's maiden name, Adler, to protect my little brother of my possible enemies. I worked first for the MI5, then the SSR and was one of the first Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. when it finally came to be what it is now. My team, specially, were Sharon Carter and Nicholas Fury, we were tutored by Margaret Carter. From them… Sharon was killed in some solo mission she was assigned to some years after I resigned, Nicholas… you know him now as the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D."

That seemed to surprise a few of those present, and I knew why; it was one thing to see Nick Fury as the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., an entirely different one to try and imagine him as a new Agent, doing missions like anyone else. Didn't mean it hadn't happened.

"I retired at 33." Kathryn went on. "My sister-in-law had just died and my brother was on the edge after the loss, I decided to go back home to look after him and help him raise my niece, Silbhé… I never expected I would be coming back sixteen years later, and to work under Nicholas of all people! Even Philip! I used to be his superior!"

Jane, Pepper and I couldn't help but laugh. We knew Phil and it was hard to imagine him as a newby Agent being ordered around by the unassuming Kathryn Salani… even if most people called her Adler, since she'd reenlisted with S.H.I.E.L.D.

Aunt Kathryn had prepared some tea for all of us (some really needed it, with the nerves all shot by the situation we were in). I was halfway through my own cup when suddenly a shiver ran through my whole body, so unexpected the cup slip from my numb fingers, liquid spilling on the metal floor as the paper cup rolled to a side.

"Silbhé!" Jane exclaimed, rushing to kneel beside me. "Are you alright?"

I vaguely nodded my head at her, not convinced at all of my response.

"Wha…?" I barely managed to shift to mental-speak when realizing the danger of what I'd nearly said. *What what that, my Maverick?*

*That was a power that has not been felt in Asgard in centuries, having been stolen a long time ago.* My match told me mentally. *The power you're feeling, my Nightingale, is the Tesseract. The cube of power. One of the most powerful artifacts to have ever existed…*

*If that thing is Asgardian what the hell is it doing…?* I gasped, both inside and outside my mind as I realized the height of stupidity. *What the hell are they thinking bringing an object of such power to this place?! We have civilians and children here! And that object is something that our enemies might be coming after!*

"Dr. Foster, Dr. Hveðrungr, Professor Salani-Hveðrungr your presence is requested at the main deck." We all heard over the intercom.

*I believe we're about to find the answer to your questions, my match.* Loki told me quietly.

Indeed, and I knew already it wasn't an answer we would like.

All the way to the main deck Jane kept throwing Loki and I looks, she knew something was going on, that we'd sensed something; however, she also understood we couldn't say anything, not with anyone being able to listen in.

We heard Fury before we saw him.

"Whatever did you bring him here for?" He was demanding of someone. "Take the doctor to the infirmary! Immediately!"

"He insisted on coming here first, sir." Some other Agent told him quietly.

"Erik!"Jane cried out.

It wasn't as easy for me to identify the man half standing (if only thanks to the aid of an Agent holding him from a side) right in front of Fury. Then again I'd only seen him for a week or two in New Mexico before S.H.I.E.L.D. called him to work in some other project… He'd visited Jane, Thor and even Darcy in NY a number of times, but Loki and I never tried to connect with him; there was too much risk of someone else learning more than they should, and with the risk concerning someone we hardly knew anything about and didn't trust…

"Jane…" The doctor acknowledged her presence with a slight grimace.

"What's wrong?" Jane asked immediately, looking him over. "You're hurt Erik!"

"The doctor should be getting those wounds looked after." Fury stated almost coldly. "However, he refuses to do so."

"I have a report to give first… sir." Erik gasped slightly mid-phrase, pained.

"Wait a second." Jane called suddenly. "I have an idea."

She reached into her purse, bringing out a crystal vial filled with a gray powder. It was one of mine. After we'd become so close, and especially after I discovered my healing abilities I'd decided it was a good idea to split the vials between those of us in the know. It was especially important for me that the others carry them, so they would be able to treat either themselves or others in case of an emergency, or wounds that humans couldn't easily treat. I knew that Aunt Kathryn's had been used during her one mission abroad in recent years; she had been able to save two lives thanks to that powder… Darcy and Loki had in their power the other two vials of powder, Darcy's only half full since he had used the other half to heal herself after getting a burnt arm while Jane, and her children from an attack years before. I carried the one remaining vial of the healing elixir.

"Silbhé, could you help me please?" She called me.

In a second I was standing beside her. She had already managed to convince Erik to let go of the blanket covering his upper body. He had no shirt, as it had apparently been burnt badly enough nothing was left, there were also serious burns on his skin. One of his legs had a couple burns as well, but all in all was much better than the upper half of his body. I could only imagine the pain he must be experiencing in that moment…

At a signal from Jane, we began working. While Loki had tweaked the original spells in the vials to allow from the assigned possessor to open them (instead of just I), the short time it could be used couldn't be changed, so we had to work fast.

"I'm sorry, this is gonna hurt at first." Jane told Erik softly. "I promise it will get better."

Erik groaned and hissed in pain several times; Loki keeping his hands on his shoulders so he wouldn't move. I winced slightly at his pain, Jane flinching and whimpering herself a number of times; but we knew what we were doing would help, so we kept going.

In half a minute all the powder was gone, and most of Erik's body was covered in the ashy substance that the powder of healing stones resembled. It was also giving off a slightly shiny off-white glow, though I wasn't sure if anyone other than Loki and I could see it.

"What the hell did you just do?" Fury demanded after what seemed like forever.

For all answer Loki dusted off a spot on Erik's back, revealing pink, new skin. It looked almost like he was just recovering from a bad sunburn… With a smile this time, Jane and I proceeded to dust the rest of the very slight remnants.

"What was that?" Fury insisted.

"Healing powder." I told him brightly. "Preserved in a spelled vial to allow its properties to hold, as the power usually dissipates seconds after the stones are crushed, and we humans cannot be expected to have the strength to crush one such stone…"

"There are more such vials?" Hill inquired, clearly interested.

"I think, maybe two…" Jane pretended to be unsure. "The numbers are limited, it's not like we're going to Asgard to get more. And you cannot study the powder, like Silbhé just said, it loses its properties seconds after it comes in contact with the air."

Hill was obviously dissatisfied with the answer, but I didn't really care. Thankfully, more or less, Erik chose that very moment to remember why he'd refused to go to the infirmary.

"The base was attacked, sir." Erik informed Fury. "They were after the Cube…"

"The Cube?" Jane interrupted, confused.

For all answer Erik took hold of the metal briefcase laying on the table beside him, spinning it around just enough to reach the lock and opening it before anyone could so much as think about stopping him.

"The Tesseract…" Loki and I breathed at the same time.

We could both sense the power in the object, rippling out from it, through us and on, so much power, just the wisp of it floating in the air was almost enough to make me dizzy… the idea of that much power in one sole object, of one individual being able to wield it… it was terrifying. They do say that absolute power corrupts absolutely, after all.

"I thought the Tesseract had been lost in the sea…" Jane muttered.

We'd read the accounts of what had happened near the end of WWII, when Captain America had fought the Red Skull, retrieved HYDRA's secret weapon and then crashed a plane he was in to stop it from delivering nukes to American soil…

"Yes, so was the Captain, yet we all saw him leave for a mission three hours ago!" I deadpanned.

"The Tesseract is not something you should worry yourselves with." Fury told us.

"Really Director?" Loki hissed disdainfully at him. "You have brought a highly powerful and extraordinarily dangerous artifact on board of this vessel, in the middle of what could potentially be classified as an interdimensional war; and you want us to not worry about it?! That thing is likely to attract them to us! To this vessel which you've filled with human soldiers, civilians, children! My daughter is in this thing! And we could be attacked at any moment!"

As if that was some kind of signal, an explosion rocked the helicarrier right then.

"Svein! David!" Jane cried out in panic before rushing out of the deck.

Loki and I cursed in Norse and Gaelic respectively before hurrying after her; as we were leaving I was vaguely aware of a woman telling Fury and Hill that a message had just come in from Agent Coulson, a base having been decimated and the suspicion that the alien enemies might be on their way to us, tracking the Cube… yeah, the info was right, but a bit late…

*My Nightingale, if the Chitauri are really attacking this base, the humans won't be able to defeat them on their own.* My match reminded me mentally as we ran.

*We'll have to reveal ourselves…* I realized grimly.

*You know you don't have to…* He whispered even in our minds.

*I will always stand by you.* I reminded him, brushing my left hand over my heart, signaling to the tattoo of the claddagh on my ring finger. *Always…*

We were passing a hall when, from the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a Chitauri. They were already inside the helicarrier! He saw us too, obviously, shooting an attack our way. Loki replied in kind, shooting an ice dagger that pierced the creature through its neck; at the same time I took hold of his hand, calling on a spell under my breath; the magic allowed us to become intangible for a couple of seconds, just enough for the Chitauri's attack to go straight through us without hurting us in the slightest.

"Silbhé! Luka!" Jane cried out, having stopped when she heard the weapon's discharge.

"Jane!" I cried out, extending a hand to her.

Loki knew what I was thinking, the moment Jane's hand was in mine all three of us disappeared.

A second later we were standing right outside the room where we'd left the others. It was a good thing because right as Jane was stumbling, trying to regain her balance (and I knew how hard that was for someone not accustomed to teleportation), my ears vaguely managed to pick up the soft click of something metallic moving around the closest corner.

I let the instinct born of nearly eight years training my powers with my husband, and sometimes even Thor and other mutants take over; I tackled Jane down, pulling her to hide behind a nearby column. We ended up crouching just a couple of feet away from the door to the room where Aunt Kathryn, Happy, and the other women and children were. And, right then, auntie poked her head out the door, probably confused by the explosion that had sounded.

"Don't come out auntie!" I yelled at her, motioning to get back inside.

She just took a look at thing before going back inside the room and slamming the door closed after her. I just hoped she or Happy wouldn't try something to 'help', it was too dangerous for both of them.

Taking a chance I peeked around the column I was laying against, I saw two Chitauri laying on the ground, knives on their foreheads; my match was also on guard already, holding a conjured throwing knife on each hand.

"What are we going to do?" Jane asked beside me.

"According to what Agent Hill said when we arrived, we already are in the safest part of the helicarrier." I commented as I kept part of my focus on the shield. "Of course, whoever said that never considered enemies blowing a hole in the side of this vessel and slipping inside. In any case if we tried to move anyone, we would just be making them more vulnerable…"

"What's the plan then?" Jane wanted to know.

"We need to get the Chitauri out, then keep them busy enough that they won't make it back inside." I decided.

More and more Chitauri began arriving, to the point that Loki was no longer enough. I was about to take a chance and interfere when suddenly the door opened again.

"Jane! Get inside!" Kathryn hissed at my sister-in-law.

Jane hurried to do as told, and it was until she was inside that I realized that my aunt wasn't going back in, and Happy too had stepped out.

"You need to get back in that room!" I hissed at them.

They ignored me, instead raising each a gun, they began firing them in tandem at the coming Chitauri, each on one side of Loki.

I stopped complaining when I was forced to accept their interference was helping. It was quite obvious that my match wouldn't have been able to hold back the enemies on his own for much longer. And just when I was beginning to breathe easier, things had to take a turn for the worse. With a huge explosion, part of a wall dropped and suddenly there were twice as many aliens pushing into the hallway at the same time.

Kathryn and Happy ran out of bullets practically at the same time and, training kicking in, they rolled and hid behind nearby columns. My love barely managed to become intangible right as a number of attacks were fired his way at the same time. What none of us were expecting was the explosive that fell a couple of feet away from me.

"Algiz!" I cried out instinctively.

While my love might not need words to call on his magic, they helped me focus; it was a crutch, but a necessary one, considering that the magic wasn't my own, and therefore using it wasn't as natural as it was for my love.

The shield was enough to protect me, and also my match, as it deviated the explosion; Aunt Kathryn was out of the line of fire, but Happy was knocked against a nearby wall, leaving him half unconscious and with a bleeding cut on his head.

Of course, as if all that wasn't bad enough already, there was the fact that the explosion had blown up the door to the very room we'd been trying to keep protected. The shrill screams of the people inside, especially the children, made my blood run cold.

"Pepper!/ Mommy!" Several voices cried out.

Loki, Kathryn and I reacted instantly, jumping onto our feet and rushing to the room. There we found Pepper standing a handful of feet away from the door, arms crossed in front of her face… it was awful. The flesh seemed to have burned off, as well as some of the muscle… I could even see the bone in a couple of places. It was horrible, as if acid had been thrown at her… The strangest thing, however, was that while her face was contorting and turning red in what I might imagine to be pain, she wasn't crying out…

"Pepper…?" I called, confused.

She didn't answer, but then I noticed. Her skin had turned deep red, as if she were covered in blood and then… she began giving off heat, it reminded me of Rose when she practiced her powers. I couldn't help but gasp when I saw Pepper's hazel eyes turn crimson. My attention was soon pulled from her eyes, when I noticed what seemed like bubbling on the raw muscle and flesh of Pepper's arms. The bubbling continued and kept growing for several seconds, and then I noticed it was more than just bubbling; it was as if the cells were reproducing, far faster than they should… muscle and skin were literally being restored at vertiginous speeds.

It took almost a full minute, and then Pepper was left panting. The long sleeves of her elegant white blouse had been burnt off, and her skin still looked a bit redder than what was probably healthy; but aside from that it didn't seem like anything had happened to her.

"How…?" Several of us asked at the same time.

"Extremis." Was all the answer she gave, and really, all the answer that was needed.

"We need to get everyone out of here." Kathryn reminded us the situation we were in.

"We need to get them off this helicarrier." Jane qualified.

She was right; of course that didn't mean it would be easy.

It was the exact opposite of easy, actually; but it's Murphy's law: anything that can go wrong at any given time eventually will.

Kathryn, Loki and I got the rest in a tight circle. Happy wasn't badly hurt, but he did have a minor concussion, which made him a tad dizzy, as well as made shooting impossible for him; Betty helped him move. In the very center of the group was the pregnant MJ, along with Betty, Happy and the half-asleep David in Jane's arms. It was ironic that surrounding them were Vika, Rob, Svein, Rose and Pepper (all of whose special abilities made them good for protecting the most vulnerable in the group, regardless of the fact that most of them were children). Loki and Aunt Kathryn had the front of the group and, to my great surprise, Gwen had taken Happy's gun and joined me in protecting the groups back (she tersely explained her father had taught her how to shoot before dying, just in case…)

It took us a while to reach the closest hangar bay; mostly because either the numbers of chitauri or the destruction caused by the fights going on (because we certainly weren't the only ones battling the alien invaders) kept forcing us to change route, backtrack, sometimes we ended in dead-ends and were forced to get creative (particularly when we had too many enemies on our tail to just turn back). If anyone was confused or surprised at the shields I kept summoning to protect our backs when a chitauri happened to come close no one commented on it, Gwen just shot them; just like they didn't on the ice blades my husband kept conjuring and throwing at the aliens (he'd stopped conjuring metal ones after a while, they took more magic than ice ones). Pepper had blocked pieces of debris from hitting anyone else, the cuts and bruises they caused disappearing faster than they appeared. Rob had slapped away a couple of blasts no one had been able to block, not affected at all by them. Rose's eyes shone like fire, while Svein's sparkled blue like the sky, as they both kept their powers close to the surface, ready to act at any moment, though it was never actually necessary. Vika's powers meant that no door was closed to us, regardless of security clearances or passwords (or the electricity problems the battle seemed to be causing, I just prayed we wouldn't fall off the sky).

However, reaching the hangar bay didn't actually make us safe, as we soon discovered, for a battle was already taking place there. Loki didn't hesitate, just kept doing what he'd been doing since the appearance of the first chitauri. Kathryn and Gwen wordlessly shifted until they were side by side, shooting as they covered the others' moving towards cover. I held a shield while keeping an eye on everything going on. Until the situation changed.

"Beware!" Kathryn screamed abruptly.

"Get down!" Gwen cried out almost at the same time.

A new group of Agents had appeared, two of them were carrying what remained from some high-powered weapons S.H.I.E.L.D. had been working on years before. I didn't know the particulars of the case, only that Darcy had stepped in to do some damage control and that was how she'd ended up with the job of media contact and Phil's partner as formal liaison with S.H.I.E.L.D. I wondered if the agents did not realize how dangerous such weapons were in the enclosed space of the hangar, especially with civilians, children! In the room! And then, one of them fired the weapon… I supposed he might have been intending to counter a chitauri's attack; instead the two met, causing a huge explosion, enough that it reached the nearest vehicle, a military jeep, then the quinjet behind it, causing a chain reaction.

"*Loki!*" I screamed mentally and verbally.

He knew what I was thinking without me needing to say a word and we both began working on layering shield after shield, as many as we could, as fast in the less than a handful of seconds it took for the explosions to reach us. The whole thing was still bad enough to make us collapse. And it blew up the side of the hangar, throwing a number of things straight off and into the sky. MJ, Gwen and Happy collapsed at the violent shaking of the helicarrier, while Rose moved to cover the humans of the group, she, Svein and Rob ready to act in case the fire got past our shields (which thankfully wasn't necessary).

"Incoming!" The leader of one of the elite teams, Agent Ward, called strongly.

It was a reflex for Kathryn, Loki and I to jump onto our feet instantly, I dimly noticed something wet on my side, but didn't feel any pain so I didn't think too much about it, I had other things to focus on; Pepper too seemed to be particularly alert in that moment. We soon became aware what was going on. At least a dozen chitauri had zoomed to where the wall of the hangar was missing, and were readying themselves to attack from there, mounted on gliders that reminded us somewhat of the Goblin's.

I have read a thousand times the stories of people saying how in certain moment in their lives time seemed to slow down, how they seemed to suddenly be faster, move easier, etc…. I cannot say I've ever experienced something like that. For in that moment what I felt had nothing to do with time, and more to do with awareness; it was like I was suddenly aware of many things at the same time: like how the chitauri outside were about to shoot, all at the same time; how there were others already inside, still attacking from one of the entrances to the hangar, Loki, Kathryn and Ward being the only ones still fighting them; how Sitwell and all the other agents seemed to be in still too much shock, or hurt by the recent attacks, to do much of anything, how Fury and a number of men were approaching from the one other door, and they would never arrive in time.

My whole life all I've ever truly wanted is to protect those I care for… nothing else mattered. I acted instinctively, as I teleported to the very center of the missing wall, magic already dancing in the tips of my fingers.

There was a new explosion as the enemies about to fire on us suddenly moved against their will, crashing against each other and blowing up; I was vaguely aware of one of my knees touching the ground as I had to use one of my hands to hold myself up, I'd called on way too much magic too quickly to make what I'd in mind work. Then there was the fact that not being able to use actual words to spin the spell caused me to waste energy (I still wasn't good enough at doing magic with focus-words). At least I knew I would recover, mostly, soon enough.

More chitauri in their flying transports began approaching the side of the helicarrier; but at least by that time the agents had recovered enough t begin pulling their weight again; and their experimental weapons weren't as dangerous when fired outside of the helicarrier itself.

"Report!" Fury ordered loudly as he entered the hangar.

I got on my feet slowly, my eyes fixed straight on him. I knew he had seen me, what I'd done; even if he hadn't been close enough to help, he was still close enough to see… and if there was any doubt in that very moment I waved my hand to the side, throwing a concussive wave with enough precision to push a chitauri off his transport and into empty air.

Whatever Fury might have said right then was interrupted by a pained scream.

"Mommy!" The two children screaming immediately clarified just who had cried out before.

"Jane!" I called, teleporting across the hangar without a second thought.

I appeared right in time to see Loki viciously break a chitauri into pieces after having frozen it completely, spear still in hand… a weapon that coincided with the deep, bleeding wound in Jane's abdomen. Gwen and MJ were already at her sides, keeping pressure on the wound and watching over Jane's vitals; their efficiency and easy way of doing things making me think it wasn't the first time they did it.

"Loki!" I cried out even as I dropped to my knees beside them, no longer trying to keep my love's identity hidden. "I need healing powder!"

"I don't have any!" Loki admitted with obvious regret. "I gave the vial to Kathryn to heal several bad burns on the agents!"

Instantly I reached to the inner pocket of my own jacket, searching for my vial… only to find pieces of broken glass and damp cloth… the vial had broken. I did not know when, or when exactly the spells that made the vial unbreakable had failed… it still couldn't have happened in a worse moment as far as I was concerned.

"Jane needs healing asap!" MJ called loudly.

Her voice made me react, as a voice inside reminded me that I did not actually need healing powder to heal…

"Gwen I need you to move your hands." I told her as I got as close to Jane as I could.

"What…?" The blonde had trouble understanding what I meant.

"Trust me." I told her quickly. "I can help but I need you to move your hand."

She did as told, though still holding her bloody hands close enough to once again apply pressure on the wound if whatever I was planning didn't work… but it would work, I knew it would.

Gwen and MJ, and possibly others, might have gasped the moment my hands began giving off the white-gold light that was my aura as a signal of my magic working; I don't know for sure, I was completely focused in Jane and her deep wound. In the years that had passed since I'd first discovered my healing gift I'd read a lot of books on anatomy, memorized all the pictures and diagrams I could about bones, muscles, articulations, the circulatory system, etc.; as, the more I focused on how something was supposed to be, the better I could restore it to that. It was also why I couldn't really treat some of the more delicate injuries, like those that might involve nerves, the spinal cord, the head, etc., I didn't know enough to focus on. Still, Jane's wound, as deep and bloody as it was, was also fairly easy to heal; it consumed a considerable amount of energy, especially considering all the magic I'd been using for more than half an hour already, but I didn't care as long as it worked.

I distantly heard the rumble of thunder, even as muscle and skin slowly knit beneath my skin, leaving hardly the lightest of scars and the red hue of dried blood on the skin as testament of what had been a horrible wound but minutes before.

"Jane!" Thor's booming voice was the first thing I heard as I once again became aware of my surroundings. "My wife!"

"Jane!" Darcy's own yell came but a second afterwards.

"I'm alright…" Jane said quietly as she sat up slowly. "Truly, Thor, Darcy, you have nothing to worry about. I'm just fine…"

That didn't stop the blonde Norse God from taking a knee beside me, placing a hand over Jane's own, over the spot where her wound had been, just above the waistline of her pants (her pants, in fact, were bloodstained still).

"You were hurt…" He said, obviously noticing the blood on her clothes.

"I was hurt." Jane nodded. "And Nightingale healed me…"

It seemed like we were definitely throwing all caution to the wind! Although, considering the only way Thor could have possibly arrived to us so fast, considering he obviously wasn't with the rest of the Avengers, was by flying, by summoning a storm from nothing… I was quite sure Asgard had tracked him already, they would be sending someone for him soon, and once the Asgardians came it would be next to impossible for Loki and I to hide.

"Thank you, sister mine…" Thor said smiling brightly at me. "I owe you a debt so…"

"You owe me nothing, Thor…" I interrupted him quietly. "We are family, and there are no debts to be owed among family."

"As heartfelt as this reunion is, I need a hand over here!" Loki called loudly to us.

Thor got to his feet immediately before offering a hand to Jane and another to me. I could see in his eyes that he worried, while Jane immediately went to join her sons, to reassure them that she was alright, I went to join my husband in the fight. I could feel Thor's eyes boring on my back, was pretty sure he would have liked to convince me to step down, to rest some; he must have also known I was much too stubborn to do that.

In a matter of seconds Darcy was also with us, as well as Kathryn, the two of them shooting their respective guns (though Darcy's two guns actually fired electric charges, as she hated bullets), Thor used Mjolnir, Loki kept on with his ice blades as well as a variety of other spells, I mostly restricted myself to shields and concussive waves as they were the easiest for me.

It would be impossible for me to tell how long we fought; it could as easily have been fifteen minutes as half an hour (unlikely for it to have been longer, as I was still standing, even if terribly exhausted). I was swaying slightly near the opening in the hangar wall (as I'd taken mostly to keeping guard over the chitauri that kept trying the get inside through there). At some point Fury had left with a group of mostly unhurt agents to canvas the rest of the helicarrier. He'd somehow convinced Darcy and Kathryn to go with him even (probably because the number of enemies moving against us was growing smaller by the minute).

The latest bunch of chitauri were just positioning themselves when twin beams of energy took at least half of them down; it took me just half a second to recognize the attack as Iron Man's. It was also right then that a hail of bullets took down the other half of the chitauri, the one that almost managed to get away being helpfully pushed towards the quinjet's weapons easily enough by me, right around the time when I began losing my footing.

In an instant Loki was by my side, holding me up.

"You're dead on your feet, my Nightingale…" He whispered softly into my ear.

"I swear that not even those awful, lengthy training sessions you convinced me to have with both you and Thor left me this worn out…"

"You weren't in mortal danger back then, or healing someone else's near-fatal wounds." My husband reminded me calmly.

Our conversation was interrupted as Iron-Man stopped in front of us, still out of the helicarrier, using his repulsors to stay in the air.

"You seem to be doing an awesome job around here!" He quipped. "A little longer and we might have been rendered unnecessary!"

"And what an insult that would have been on your ego." I deadpanned.

"A terrible blow indeed." He agreed before getting a bit more serious. "Phil and Legolas are touching down on the top of the carrier. There are actually few of these aliens left anymore, so the battle should be over relatively soon. See ya up there!"

With that, he was gone.

Loki and I just stood there quietly, mostly resting (allowing our magic to at least recover some) while keeping watch in case any more chitauri showed up. The battle didn't really last that much longer after the remaining Avengers arrived.

"The crisis has passed. All Agents report to your station and begin safety protocols." Hill's voice came through the PA system. "Dr. Hveðrungr, Professor Salani-Hveðrungr, Dr. Foster, Avengers, your presence in required in the Main Conference Room."

We answered the summons right away, most of us had only been waiting to be sure the battle was over before we went looking for the others. Then there was the matter of the families: Thor didn't want to leave Jane after her recent injury, even if there wasn't supposed to be a threat anymore, our children seemed similarly inclined to stay with us; while the rest of the wives and children were quite openly edgy and wishing to go back to their loved ones. So in the end we all went.

Fury did not say a word when we all entered the Conference Room, even though Hill did furrow her brows a bit when we passed her on the door. The mere fact that the Conference Room was considerably bigger than would have been necessary if Fury had truly only wanted the Avengers and main consultants in that meeting told me that the Director had known already we would all be coming and either didn't want, or at least wasn't interested in stopping us.

Phil and Darcy were the last one to enter the room and the huge bloodstain on Phil's chest immediately called my attention, as well as the way Darcy was holding onto him; while it was well known that the two were in a relationship and had been for years, they were never so demonstrative while on the job… something had happened, even if I didn't know what.

"Darcy! Phil!" Iron Man cried out the moment he saw them. "What the hell happened to you?!"

"I was stabbed by one of the last chitauri, Darcy had the medium to heal me, I'm just fine right now." Phil stated calmly.

Which meant the last of the healing powder had been used. So, on that front, we had no healing powder left, Loki's and my own powers had been revealed for all of S.H.I.E.L.D. (or at least everyone Level 7 and above), Thor had used his full power as the God of Thunder (lack of immortality not withstanding); all together it meant nothing good…

"Director Fury!" A woman in civilian clothes and carrying a tablet rushed into the room.

"I believe I left strict instructions for no interruptions…" Fury stated in a cold voice.

"I know, Director Fury, sir." The woman nodded half-dismissively. "Agent Hill insisted I get this information to you. An oddity in the sky was just picked up by our systems…"

"And why is that something I need to know?" Fury asked, annoyed yet also intrigued.

"Because the readings our systems are getting from the atmospheric event coincide with the readings registered by Dr. Foster in New Mexico ten years ago…" She finished.

Really, Murphy's law couldn't leave us alone. It had just gotten worse. Time was up, Asgard was onto us. It was time to own up to our choices.

In an instant Thor was on his feet, obviously able to realize quiet fast what was going on. Jane just held tightly onto her sons while turning to us, growing paler by the second; she knew the consequences of Asgard finding us, not just Loki, but all of us…

I myself couldn't help but hold tightly onto Rose, who was already sitting on my lap. She did the same, one hand holding onto her father. Rose, while still being nine, was quiet the intelligent girl; she knew who her dad was, and what that meant for both Midgard and Asgard… she knew that there were plans in case worse came to worst, and she might not like it, but as long as she was safe Loki and I would be able to deal with anything else that might be thrown at us.

*My Nightingale…* Loki called quietly through our bond.

*I know.* I nodded silently, holding onto his free hand. *I'm here my match, I will always stand by your side, no matter what.*

Most of the people had left the room already by that point, either to prepare in case another attack was coming, or just curious at Thor's abrupt departure. Fury directed a significant look in our direction before exiting himself, I thought he might have known or at least suspected something about us, but he said nothing.

He approached Jane, who had been waiting silently beside the door; she was holding David tightly in one arm while her other held Svein's; her nervousness was obvious as she bit her lip and looked at the three of us.

"Silbhé… Luka…" Jane called quietly. "What's happening…"

"It's what we've known all along would happen eventually." Loki stated calmly.

"Whatever happens in the following minutes, you must stick to the plan Jane." I told her with all the seriousness I could. "Promise me…"

"I promise." She agreed with the same seriousness.

With that I turned to look at Rose, who was still holding tightly onto Loki and I.

"Rosie, sweetheart, I need you to stay with your auntie Jane for now." I told her softly.

"Mamma…" She muttered in an almost sob.

"I know honey, I know it's awful, but your papa and I need you to be a big girl and stay with Auntie Jane…" I insisted, fighting to hold back my own sob.

"Can you do that, my little love?" Loki asked in turn as he crouched to be more at her level. "Can you be a big girl for mamma and papa?"

"Yes papa." She nodded, obviously fighting to compose herself.

It was taking all my effort not to cry too, knowing as I did what was likely to happen in the next few minutes. Still, I had told my daughter to be a big girl, and I had to be one too… besides, as long as Rose was safe, I truly believed things would be alright in the end.

**xXx 3****rd**** Person POV xXx**

The helicarrier shuddered when a beam of light and magic landed rather forcefully in the middle of the landing pad for the military crafts, there was enough force in the Asgardians' arrival it might have sent the carrier down if they hadn't already been on the water. Thankfully Fury had given instructions to take the vessel to the sea the moment the battle had begun, they had settled around the time the Avengers and their families reunited in the biggest Conference Room.

Thor was standing a couple of feet away from the funnel of power as it dissipated, revealing a quartet of individuals he knew very well.

"My friends!" He thundered loudly in obvious delight. "It's been so long!"

"A long time indeed." The Goddess of War, Lady Sif agreed as she went to embrace Thor tightly. "Asgard has missed you, Thor. As has your family"

"I have missed the Realm Eternal, indeed, as well as you, my friends, and my parents." Thor nodded. "However, I have not been alone!"

It looked like he might have said more, or so his friends thought; what they did not realize was that, in that very moment, Thor was biting his tongue, for he had just fully realized what his friends' appearance on Asgard meant: for his brother, his sister, his own wife, the children… Never had such a joyous meeting been also so bittersweet.

"So, tell us, Thor, what adventures have you been through in the last decade?" Fandral asked brightly. "Great ones I hope! With valiant warriors who, I'm sure, will compare not to us, your truest friends… and ladies!"

"I have had adventures indeed." Thor finally answered, though in a tone much more controlled than his first greeting. "Some on my own, others with great warriors, heroes of this realm, some I even consider as valiant and loyal as you, my dear friends. And only one lady… I have taken a wife, eight years ago, in fact."

"You're married!" Volstagg was absolutely shocked by that.

"Indeed, I am." Thor nodded.

He didn't say a word about the children, unsure of how it would be taken, he didn't even make a motion to find Jane either, knowing that she would be staying back, just in case.

"You look different." Hogun commented quietly. "Like… dimmer, almost."

"I am mortal." Thor informed him in low but somewhat proud tone. "Have been for five years."

"What?!" His friends were all equally shocked. "Why?!"

"That, my friends, is a long story." Thor said evasively.

The mortal-god wasn't willing to talk about it, it would be revealing too much, and while he did trust his friends, his need to protect his wife and sons was greater.

"Thor, we must speak urgently in private." Sif stated abruptly.

At some point in between the appearance of Lady Sif and the Warriors Three and that moment Director Fury, the Avengers, their families and various other Agents had stepped onto the landing pad and were in that moment watching the interactions between Thor and the new arrivals with various levels of curiosity, confusion, awe and mistrust.

"You can trust every person in this vessel, Sif." Thor told her empathically. "They are all warriors fighting for this realm, or their families."

"Heimdall talked to me right before your father sent us here, to inform us of two things he had recently discovered, very different but of equal importance." Sif told him elaborately. "The first was that, upon tracking you down to this place he was also able to find something unexpected: the Tesseract… the ancient artifact is here Thor…"

"Indeed." If the Thunderer had known beforehand about the Cube he did not say a thing, his focus was elsewhere. "And the other thing?"

"Heimdall was also able to detect a void… he believes it might mean Loki is here as well." Fandral told him quietly, in an effort not to be heard by the others.

"He thinks?" Thor seemed, strangely, confused by that part more than by everything else.

"Well, he cannot actually see the bastard, you know how Loki is with his cheap tricks… but Heimdall is fairly sure that the void belongs to him, and it's big enough it might even be shadowing those in close contact to him…" Sif shrugged.

Thor opened his mouth to say something in defense of his brother, though his friends didn't realize the last part or how upset the god of thunder was about the way they were talking about the trickster god… however, Loki himself chose to make his entrance right then, striding to the group with his match on his arm.

"So, I'm a bastard now, am I?" He questioned in a fake-easy tone. "And I don't remember you thinking my 'tricks' were cheap when they were saving your lives!"

"Loki!" The four recent arrivals cried out in a mix of shock and fright as they saw him.

Silbhé couldn't help it, the moment she saw the mix of expression on their faces she let out a loud peal of laughter, hanging onto Loki's arms tightly so as not to lose her balance.

"Who are you?" Sif asked suspiciously, staring straight at her.

"My lady, maybe you would like better company…" Fandral began at the same time.

The transformation in the rather short woman on Loki's arm was as instantaneous as it was shocking to all but those who truly knew her. In a second the auburn-haired, hazel eyed woman was standing straight, radiating a mix of quiet dignity and soft power despite her lack of height or much mass, particularly when standing in comparison with the Asgardians around her. Her clothes were rather simple: a light lilac top, gray skirt almost to her ankles, short leather jacket and leather boots.

She turned to look at Fandral, waiting until he was aware of her intent stare, only to then look him up and down and then turn away with an unimpressed huff.

"I am in perfect company right now, sir." She told him in her most dismissive tone before turning to Sif. "Professor Silbhé Arianna Salani-Hveðrungr, S.H.I.E.L.D. Civilian Consultant." She shifted slightly, allowing her side to press against Loki's front as he moved his arm to hold her around the waist. "Though I imagine you might understand more if I tell you I am Nightingale, Loki's wife and match."

The statement was such it left everyone in deck speechless, not just the Asgardians. It was intended, of course. Loki and Nightingale had decided not to try and hide anything, not their relationship, not themselves. Hiding was for cowards, which they weren't and… Rose (and Jane and her sons) also had a better chance of going unnoticed if all the attention was kept on them. That was most important of all.

The Asgardians moved so fast Nightingale almost didn't see them coming… or, in fact, she didn't, she just reacted instinctively, the very way her long training sessions with Loki, Thor and her Aunt Kathryn had taught her to.

It was all over in a matter of seconds: Volstagg was panting on the floor, having been thrown down hard by Loki's magic; while Hogun stared down at where his weapon was frozen to the ground and his hand to it, making it impossible for him to fight correctly. Fandral was crouched in front of Thor, holding onto his left arm, a pained expression on his face as Thor had used Mjolnir against him (The God of Thunder wasn't actually a target, he moved to protect his brother and sister). Unsurprisingly, Sif was the one to go after Nightingale herself, who had reacted with a rather simple shield that stopped Sif's attack before dropping into a crouch and sweeping the warrior-lady's feet from beneath her; in the handful of seconds it took for Sif to process that the small young woman had managed to take her down with such a simple move she was held in place with a conjured rope that tied her up from shoulders to ankles (one of the more complicated pieces of magic Loki had taught his wife for her own defense).

Nightingale cursed in Gaelic as she straightened up; things had happened so fast she hadn't really paid attention, not even to what she herself was doing until it was done already.

"Great work, mine sister!" Thor called loudly with a laugh.

"Wonder what the Goddess of War thinks about being taken down by a 'mere mortal girl'…" Loki practically sneered at the woman.

"I swear I didn't plan it, it just happened." The hazel eyed defended herself.

"Of course you didn't know, that was the objective of your training, for fighting, defending yourself, to become instinctual." Her husband reminded her.

"You did good." Thor agreed.

"I don't think she agrees." The young woman drawled.

"Maybe not." The trickster shrugged, uncaring. "It's their own fault. They are the ones who attacked us and with no provocation."

"Like we're going to wait for you to kill us!" Fandral hissed at him.

Loki and Nightingale just looked pointedly at his injured arm, his face, Thor's hammer, and then back at Fandral… really, it wasn't their fault the blonde was hurt.

It looked like the argument/fight might have gone on for a while, except right then Phil decided enough was enough and he interfered, Darcy following right after him, while the rest of the Avengers in tandem moved to secure their families behind them and get on guard themselves. The new Asgardians were already acting hostile, the last thing they needed was for someone to end up really hurt.

"Excuse me…" Phil called in his most formal voice, all along keeping a hand on his handgun and eyes sweeping over everything. "Mind telling us what is going on?"

"This is no matter for mortals, human, know your place." Fandral declared simply.

The slap that followed that was enough to turn his face sideways, and while it was obvious that Darcy's own hand was in pain she refused to show it; standing tall (she was more of average height, but her leather boots had some platform as well as a decent heel, giving her more height) and staring straight as the Asgardians.

"We may be mortal, but we are as worthy of respect as any other living being." She hissed straight at him. "In fact, the way I see it, we're far more worthy of respect than you, someone who would insult another person for something as stupid as not possessing immortality. There is also the fact that, this is our world, a world of mortals. It might be a good plan for you not to antagonize the 9 billion-something inhabitants of this planet by making such idiotic comments!"

Fandral growled lowly at her, his hand dangerously close to his weapon.

"Don't you even think it…" Thor growled in turn, holding his own weapon tighter.

"Oh, let him try it." Darcy quipped, cocking her own gun in turn. "I'll put him down faster than he can even raise his sword!"

"You have no idea who you're dealing with, mortal." Sif growled from the floor.

"So says the one still immobile on the ground." Darcy drawled. "And for the record, the one saying it is the one who's holding the weapon capable of having every single one of you on the ground, twitching wildly, in less time than it would take you to reach me. And even if, by some kind of miracle, you managed to reach me, I have a whole team at my back!"

She did, and the moment the Asgardians took the opportunity to look behind her they saw every single Avenger, Agent, and even a number of presumed-civilians, on guard, most holding some kind of weapon at the ready. Iron-Man was the closest to the front, sans helmet, hands raised, repulsors glowing in preparation for an attack, even the missiles hidden on one of his shoulders were all ready to be fired.

"Enough!" Phil, Thor and Loki called loudly at the same time.

With a wave of the sorcerer's hand the ropes tying Sif disappeared; the warrior-lady hurried to her feet, though she stayed away from the brothers and the small woman, wary of them as well as the rest of the humans standing up to them.

"For the second time, someone explain what is going on." Phil was no longer asking, he was ordering instead.

"My apologies, Son of Coul." Thor nodded respectfully at him. "I know not why my friends thought it was a good idea to attack my brother and sister… I also regret the insult to your person, we know you're a strong, valiant warrior."

"I take no offense to you, Thor." Phil assured him. "However, I do not take lightly being insulted by a man who hasn't even had the decency to introduce himself, explain his presence in our territory… much less for him, or anyone, to threaten m… Agent Lewis. While, as she's already proved, she's perfectly capable of taking care of herself, it's still rude."

"Of course, Son of Coul." Thor nodded immediately. "I apologize on their behalf. Like I said before, I know not what made them think it was a good idea to behave in such a manner."

"We have strict orders from the Allfather, Thor." Sif informed him. "We were to find you and get you back home; also, if Heimdall's suspicions held, we were to capture Loki and bring him back to face the justice of Asgard…"

Nightingale snorted, as far as her studies went, 'Asgard's justice' was anything but, especially when it came to her match. Still, it didn't change the decisions they'd made beforehand, about how they would do things.

"And you thought attacking an unarmed, non-violent man, who was doing nothing but standing there, speaking to you, was a good idea?" Darcy's snort was louder. "You could have potentially turned a calm individual into a hostile one just because you were too stupid to try… oh, I don't know, maybe talking to him first?!" She turned to Thor. "Big Guy, with all due respect, your people suck, big time."

"They just haven't had the pleasure of receiving Midgardian teachings." Thor told her with a smirk. "Not like I did from you, Jane and Erik a decade ago…"

"Yeah, I remember…" Darcy shook her head. "You weren't very nice back then either."

"The best I can say in my defense is that there was much I did not understand." Thor told her. "You all helped me greatly to grow, to become the man I am today."

"It's been a pleasure big guy." Darcy assured him with a bright smile.

"Loki non-violent!" Fandral interrupted with a hiss. "Please! We're talking about the God of Lies, you trust him, you die!"

"Well, considering I'm still alive, after having known him for almost a decade…" Darcy sneered at him. "We even live in the same building! Then there's the fact that he's calmly waiting for you to be done with your childish rant… I still think he's the better man."

"The Midgardians were harboring him… and his so-called wife, it's obvious they will take his side." Sif decided coldly.

"Seeing as how, until you shouted his identity, less than two handfuls of people knew the truth about him…" Darcy drawled.

"What do they know you as, then?" Volstagg asked Loki, confused.

"Dr. Luka Hveðrungr, a scholar, Civilian Consultant for S.H.I.E.L.D. and, of course, husband to Professor Salani-Hveðrungr." Loki's lopsided grin was blinding.

"I cannot wrap my head around someone marrying you…" Volstagg admitted.

"She's just as crazy as he is!" Sif hissed angrily.

Nightingale actually chuckled, it's not like she hadn't believed herself to be crazy more than once throughout her life… particularly since a certain couple of gods had appeared unexpectedly in the middle of her garden!

"We have been married for almost ten years." The woman announced proudly, rubbing on the claddagh tattoo that acted as a wedding band.

It truly looked like the newcomers just couldn't process those facts: Loki was there, he wasn't being hostile, he was married to the tiniest mortal they'd ever seen (who wasn't a child), and the humans seemed to be supporting him!

"None of this is logical!" Fandral snarled. "How can anyone support a psycho?!"

"Hey blondie, the way I see it, you're the only psycho around here, attacking people for no good reason." Iron Man told him in his coldest tone. "Luka, Loki, whatever his name might be, just helped us win a battle against a bunch of fricking aliens! You, on the other hand, just attacked people I've considered my friends for years for no good reason at all! All who know me will tell you it's not a good idea to make me angry."

"You are a mortal." Sif insisted.

"I am Iron Man." Stated proudly. "And with me stand: my science-bro with his breathtaking anger issues, a super-soldier of legend who kind 'a lives up to the legend, a man who believes himself half spider and actually has the power to back that up, another with enough tech to blow up anything and a penchant for explosives in the form of pumpkins… anyway, next, two master assassins that would have the most incredible reputation if it weren't for the fact that part of their job is to make sure no one knows they're there most of the time, two Secret Agents capable of leaving any James Bond in history in the dust, not to mention the bunch of Agent-men that probably can be compared with ninjas and, of course, me: genius, billionaire, philanthropist, husband, father, and every once in a while, something almost-like-a-hero."

"You think too highly of yourself, Man of Iron." Hogun told him blankly.

"Well, considering the things I've survived to this day I think I have a right to think a bit highly of myself…" Iron-Man drawled proudly.

"Now, why don't we take things easy?" Phil offered calmly, though he was still very much on guard. "I'm sure there's a peaceful solution to whatever might be going on…"

"Like we stated before, we're here to take Thor back home, and Loki and his wife will be coming with us as well." Volstagg said, trying to keep things peaceful too.

"This is home now." Thor pointed out calmly, signaling around him. "But I would like to see mother and father again."

Loki and Nightingale just shrugged, it's not like they hadn't seen it coming.

"What about your wife, Thor?" Fandral asked suddenly. "Won't you introduce us?"

All of them (Darcy included) stiffened instantly. They had known the moment was coming, had even planned for it, long before… didn't mean they had to like it.

"You know the rules Thor…" Sif said, using what was obviously a fake-empathetic tone. "The Allfather decreed long ago that the gods shouldn't influence in the lives of mortals… I have no idea of what Loki has done with that girl, and Lord Odin will see to them. And you know your lady too must be brought before him."

"No!" Thor practically roared. "You will not be hurting my family!"

Darcy and Nightingale couldn't help it, they winced; Loki could just sigh, his brother had always been emotional, and considering how suspicious Sif and the Warriors already seemed to be, he had no doubt they would have no trouble realizing the slip Thor had made…

"Family…?" Fandral and Volstagg asked at the same time.

"No!" Thor roared again.

A drizzle had begun at some point before, though no one had paid much attention to it; not until that moment, when it suddenly became a violent thunderstorm, the first burst of lightning hitting a nearby buoy.

"Thor!" Jane called before she could realize how dangerous her actions were.

"Papa!" Two boys called almost at the same time.

Sif and the Warriors three immediately reacted to the voices, searching with their eyes for their origins; it wasn't easy, as the Avengers and their families immediately closed ranks, keeping Jane and the children as out-of-sight as they could.

The moment Sif gave a single stop, whether it was to approach Thor or to begin searching for Jane no one would ever know, Loki and Nightingale got into motion too.

"Jane!" Nightingale screamed at the top of her lungs, magic beginning to glow like an aura around her. "Get yourself and the children out of here! Now!"

"Mamma! Papa!" Rose cried out in sudden panic.

"Now!" Nightingale insisted with a near screech. "Follow the plan!"

Several things happened almost at the same time: Jane moved a bit away from the rest of the people, clutching an unknown object in her hand, with her other arm she was holding David, while Svein held onto her waist, Rose's hand holding onto the same arm that held the unknown object tightly. Sif and the Warriors noticed the foursome and made a motion to go for them, however, before they could give a single step a short but bright flash of green light blinded them, before Loki's magic threw them backwards with enough force they fell into the ocean. At the same time Jane threw the object she'd been holding tightly in her hand to the ground with enough force to make it break: it was like glass, the moment it broke what looked like golden smoke came out, it enveloped her and the children; a white-ish wave of light broke the smoke after a couple of seconds, erasing it from existence; it was also at that point that it became evident that Jane and the children were gone. By the time Sif and the Warriors Three managed to pull themselves back onto the helicarrier, there was nothing to be done.

**xXx Nightingale's POV xXx**

My legs folded beneath me when I finally felt something solid beneath my feet again, only my husband's strong arms scooping up and against his chest stopped me from ending up on the shiny floor of the restored arrival room of the Rainbow Bridge.

"Sister?" Thor asked worriedly.

"I'm fine Thor…" I told him half-brokenly and very dizzy. "I hate interdimensional traveling."

"There is a reason I prefer the Shadow Paths… beyond the concealment they offer, I mean." My love qualified calmly.

It might even true, but we both knew the Shadow Paths couldn't be used…

Scant minutes later we were walking down the bridge and in the direction of Asgard itself. Loki and I had chains secured to shackles on our ankles, wrists, even wound around our necks; it was humiliating, though neither of us said a word about it. Around us Sif and the Warriors had arranged themselves in formation, on their horses, while we were made to walk. Thor had been offered a horse, but when no such offer was made for Loki and I, he refused, so all three of us were walking in silence.

It was a long walk, however, being a mother had taught me strength and endurance like nothing else could have. It was ironic considering how during the first four or so years of her life Rose had been a sickly child: small for her age, delicate… and then, after a horrible fever wrought her body for days on end (Loki and I feared we might lose her), she one day woke up, her previously hazelnut eyes shining like the tiger-eye stone, her mahogany hair shiny and dazzling, looking like some kind of smooth, flameless fire.

Rose had changed after that: while she still wasn't exactly tall, that wasn't much of a surprise considering my own height, she still looked very much like me, though her character was more like her father's most of the time, she had also inherited his magic (spells, teleporting, shape-shifting, etc.) and the eyes of his jotun form. Still, she had become pretty energetic, very active most of the time, and Loki and I were more-or-less forced to follow.

The people of Asgard left what they were doing as they watched us walk by, staring at us with a mix of wonder, confusion (mostly me), cheer (Thor), disdain or fear (mostly my love). Sif and their warriors played into their presence, but Thor ignored them, instead keeping an eye on us, to make sure we were alright.

Upon arrival to the palace a dozen guards took formation around us, though Thor's old friends were still the only ones to stand any close to us.

"They act like we're serial killers…" I muttered lowly in Gaelic. "No! Not even that. Because even serial killers are treated with some decency and dignity compared to this! They're acting like we're serial killers who might snap and lay waste to this whole realm at any moment! Like… like we are… time bombs! Yes, they're acting like we're time-bombs about to blow up and turn this whole realm to dust!"

"That's pretty much how they see us." Loki informed me. "Or more me than you, you they are just confused about."

"You are mine as I am yours." I reminded him, my voice gaining a thick accent that only came out when I spoke my mother's tongue. "What they do to me they do to you…"

"And they do to me." Thor chose to put in his two cents. "For you are my brother and sister and I care for you both deeply."

Thor chose to speak English for, while he was passable enough in Gaelic to understand it, his pronunciation left a lot to be desired, and he knew how much I disliked hearing other people butchering languages…

The Warriors flinched slightly, they obviously had no idea what Loki and I had said, but Thor's booming voice and his words, even without a proper context, served to let them know that something important had been said.

It was around that time that we arrived to what was probably the Throne Room. The room was huge, completely made out of what looked like polished marble, shiny sleek metal, a golden throne at the top of a dais at the far end of it. On that throne sat a man: gray hair and beard, golden crown-like-helmet, with an addition that acted as an eye-patch, dressed in formal clothes. Also, on a smaller chair, a few feet to a side and behind him, sat a woman with unmarked skin, perfect curls of golden hair falling over her shoes, clad in an elegant gown of the darkest red, a sash made of gold across her waist. King Odin Allfather and his wife: Queen Frigg.

"Thor!" Odin called loudly from his throne. "My son! Welcome back!"

Thor didn't offer a response, just nodding solemnly at his father. Lady Frigg completely ignored all the posturing, rushing from her place to us faster than I could properly follow.

"Oh… my beloved son!" She exclaimed as she throws her arms around Thor. "This is a joyous day! You have returned."

"It is good to see you mother… but I am not here to stay." Thor did not intend to lie to her, we had known that ahead of time.

Frigg seemed surprised by that statement, and began looking around, probably trying to stall until she knew how to reply to that comment; it was then that she noticed Loki and I.

"Loki!" She practically screeched out.

There was so much feeling in her voice and in her expression as she called my love's name… love, and pain, and delight, and horror, and so many more I couldn't name.

"You did not tell me our youngest son was alive as well!" Frigg demanded of Odin. "Why would you keep that from me? Why when you know I love him so?"

"Mother…" Loki whispered quietly, his own overwhelming feelings leaking into me.

"I did not know what to think about him." Odin admitted in a clipped voice. "At this point I still do not know what to think…"

"What is there to think?" Frigg asked, confused. "Both our sons are alive! They have returned to us after a decade missing! A decade we spent believing them dead! We should be rejoicing!"

"It has indeed been a long time, but we cannot forget the circumstances in which they were lost to us…" Odin reminded her emotionlessly.

I could see it so clearly behind my eyelids I cringed: the two brothers fighting to the death on the Rainbow Bridge… so much pain…

"Or the circumstances in which they have returned." Odin finished, eyes boring on me.

"Mother." Loki allowed the smallest smile to grace his face as he spoke straight at her, though everyone could hear. "May I present to you my wife and match: Nightingale."

"You have taken a wife?!" Frigg was understandably shocked.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, my Queen." I told her with respect, curtsying as best I could with the chains complicating my motions.

"But why are you so chained up, my dear?" She seemed truly perplexed by that fact, before turning back to Loki and noticing the same. "And you too…" She turned to the Warriors. "I demand you release my son and his wife at once!"

"I'm afraid we cannot do that, my Queen." Hogun told her quietly. "This was done under the orders of the Allfather."

"What?!" Frigg seemed truly flustered by the sudden revelation and she immediately turned demanding eyes to her husband.

"It's alright m…Mother…" Loki stopped her before a word could be said. "I… Nightingale and I are alright. We knew this would happen before we came, before we were even found. It's fine."

"It is not fine." The Queen of the Aesir shook her head but did not insist.

"I too have taken a wife, mother." Thor informed her, trying to distract her with something positive, until he reached the second part of his announcement. "Though, regretfully, she could not be here with us, at this time."

"Why not?" The Queen honestly didn't seem to be able to understand it.

For seconds that seemed like forever neither Thor nor Loki said a thing.

"Because we're from Midgard, Your Majesty." I finally told her when her two sons dared not. "Both Jane and I are mortal…"

"Mortals…" Frigg gasped, obviously not having expected that.

"Both my brother and I are mortal now as well, have been for a few years." Loki informed her. "The reasons are unimportant, fact of the matter is that, while we may retain our powers, we no longer possess immortality."

"Well, that can be easily solved, can it not?" Frigg inquired.

She made it seemed like it was the simplest thing… and suddenly I was left wondering. Wasn't it? Far as I knew, the Aesir's immortality was connected to the consumption of Idunn's golden apples… which they had to eat at least once every decade or so. Which also meant that anyone who ate the apples would stop aging, or at least it would get slower… Therefore, one could suppose that, even if the deals with Hel hadn't been made Loki and Thor would have lost their immortality eventually (depending on when they last ate one of the apples…) It also would mean that they could regain their immortality just as easily… why then had Hel made such a deal with them? Why ask for nothing but their immortality in return for Jane's and my lives? Why when it was something that could be regained just like that…?

The pessimistic conclusion to the rant would be that it couldn't be that easy; however, while I didn't have much faith in most things Asgard-related, the way Frigg spoke made me think that it truly was that easy. So, considering that Hel had to know that, my positive side said that she had purposefully arranged the deal like that, asking for something that could be regained in return of something that couldn't… she had as good as given Jane and I back for free, the deal just enough to keep with the laws of her realm! I had always known I loved Hel like a daughter, but in that moment… in that moment I wanted nothing more than to go straight to her, hold her to me as tightly as I could, let her know how much I loved her… my daughter, as much as Rose…

"The rules were created to be obeyed." Odin called in a serious, authoritative voice.

Loki and I couldn't help it, we snorted under our breaths; but really, nothing that concerned Loki, and particularly Odin's treatment of him, could possibly be considered to be following rules! Or common sense! At all!

"One of the most important rules that has existed for over millennia is that those of Asgard are not to unduly influence the mortal inhabitants of Midgard." Odin went on. "They're mortals, and have no knowledge of us beyond what was written too long ago to be seen as truth… they have no relation to the rest of the realms, and that's how it must remain." He sighed. "Midgard is a simple, primitive planet, our influence could be cataclysmic…"

I couldn't hold myself back anymore, I laughed. Those around didn't seem to like it. Truly, if looks could kill… not like I let it affect me, but still.

"Excuse me…" I called in my most placating tone. "It's just… when was the last time you visited Midgard? When was the last time you even cared to find out how we humans live?" I didn't wait for an answer. "Granted, there are some parts that I might actually call primitive, but for the most part that's not true, at all. We have evolved a lot, particularly in the last two centuries. We're capable of recording events with methods that go beyond paintings and words written by hand; have security systems that tell us of potential dangers long before they come, without a single life being at risk; we have communication devices that allow us to speak with someone on the other side of the world, thousands of kilometers away! And we can get from one place to another dozens of times faster than any horse could possibly take us! And that's just considering the human advances, there are those who are more…" I shook my head. "So, excuse me if I find it hilarious, and incredibly ridiculous, for you to call Midgardian primitive and simple, when we are capable of so much you cannot possibly begin to comprehend!"

A hiss echoed all around, people taking offense to my words, they obviously didn't believe a word I was saying. Music began filling the Throne Room then. It wasn't loud, but as some began noticing it they quieted, trying to understand what it meant; the melody was simple: a flute song, the first one I'd ever played, and the one I more often went back to, with the very instrument Loki had gifted me with when I was eleven…

"Where is that coming from?" Frigg asked, intrigued when not seeing any instrument.

"From here." Loki signaled to the pendant on his chest.

It was a simple pendant with a heart of Celtic knots inlaid; I'd given it to him as a wedding gift (when he'd given me my nightingale pendant). Inside it was a micro-chip, in which I'd arranged to have the melody recorded with help from someone I knew (I myself had played the flute).

"This was a gift from my Nightingale." Loki elaborated. "It contains a very small piece of technology called a chip. Many different things can be saved on chips, information of all kinds. This one can only hold a small amount, and it has that song. My match recorded herself playing the melody for me. So I could listen to it, to her, at any moment." He seemed to think a bit before adding. "Our daughter particularly enjoyed going to sleep to the sound of it…"

"Daughter?!" Frigg cried out in shock.

"Her name is Rose Alfdis…" Loki told her, quietly but proudly. "She turned nine recently."

With some effort I managed to reach into my jacket to take my keys, the keychain was a small picture-frame, but instead of holding a printed picture, it had a chip that allowed for a dozen different pictures. I changed it several times before settling in one in particular: Loki, Rose and I in casual clothes, sitting on a blanket, having a picnic in Central Park.

"She's beautiful…" Frigg told me with great emotion.

I moved my hand over hers, changing to another picture. It was more in the style of a family portrait, and besides the three of us there were also Thor, Jane, Svein, David, Kathryn, Phil and Darcy; all of us standing before the huge lavender tree in the garden of Salani mansion.

"That's my Jane and our children: the oldest is Svein, he's seven, while David is five." Thor told her from the other side. "The older woman is Nightingale's aunt Kathryn, the younger one is as good as an adopted sister to us all, her name is Darcy, and the man at her side is her intended: Phil, the Son of Coul."

"You have beautiful families." Frigg nodded.

"That is another piece of technology." Loki added louder to everyone else. "Pictures are more accurate, less expensive and far easier to get than paintings. That small frame has a micro-chip too, one that holds a dozen different pictures."

"Midgard truly is a wonder…" Frigg declared, hand still tightly holding onto the picture, as if she wished to hold each person in it.

"While that may be true," Odin's half-conceded. "It changes not the law."

"So what, because we're mortal we're not worthy?" I demanded. "I am Loki's wife. I've stood loyally by his side, as such, for the last ten years. I carried and gave birth to his child even when it made me sick, even when it nearly took my life! Rose Alfdis is someone I love with all my heart, a child I'm infinitely proud of." I felt very passionately about it all. "I am a wife and a mother! Who are you to judge me unworthy of either title! You who have so wronged one you called a son for centuries!"

"You cannot judge the Allfather!" An old man, probably a counselor or a noble, or both, snarled.

"Just like you cannot judge me!" I spat at him. "I answer to none of you!"

"Therefore you cannot be Asgardian, all Asgardians answer to the Allfather." An old woman standing next to the old man stated with obvious satisfaction.

"I follow those who have my respect, a respect that is earned, not demanded, none of you have that." I wasn't about to take back my words, no matter that. "The only people currently in this room, in this realm, that I respect any are: my match, my brother and their mother. The rest of you mean little to me aside from men and women who see fit to demand obedience and respect while giving no reason why such should be granted. Like I said, such things are earned, not demanded, that's not how it works… not in the real world."

"It's how it works in Asgard." Several people insisted.

I shrugged. They were pretty much ignoring me, I would do the same. It's not like I actually expected to make much of a difference, I just hated when people refused to even listen to others, it was entirely too annoying to my tastes.

"Like I said before, the laws cannot just be changed." Odin went back to the original topic of conversation. "Asgardians are not supposed to mix with Midgardians. We will have to settle this matter the best way possible."

"And what?" Loki demanded, losing his patience. "What will you do then Allfather? Destroy our families? Kill them? Or not, maybe you will just make them forget us! How do you think Jane, a woman of science, will feel when she wakes up with little to no memories of the last ten years, and two children she knows not where they came from? Or maybe you will take the children away, leave her alone…" His aura began manifesting as he grew angrier by the second. "Yes, you would destroy whole families, just because we do not abide by your old, barbaric, obsolete rules! What do you think will become of the woman who will have lost so much of her past in an instant? And what of the children, who will have no knowledge, no understanding of themselves? And what of their power? Svein can already command the winds, possibly more; David is on the verge of manifesting! And of course, it wouldn't end there, Rose, Nightingale and I… our family would be destroyed as well… I won't allow it!"

"It's not like you can do anything about it." Fandral hissed.

"Oh, really?" Loki directed a predatory grin at him. "But I already have… or more like, we have, my Nightingale and I!"

"You will never find them." I qualified. "Not Jane, and certainly not the children. You will never find them, and therefore will never be able to hurt them in any way." I smiled at them as well. "You see: we have known, almost from the very beginning, that this day would come. We knew Asgard would find us, and that they wouldn't approve of us, of the family. So we made plans, contingency plans. Jane is gone now, with Svein, David and Rose. She used a spell previously prepared by Loki, and I erased all trace of it, so you cannot track her, or the magic used. She's in a location that was made untraceable by both magical and human methods."

"They cannot stay in hiding forever." Sif insisted.

"No, they cannot." I agreed. "But they don't have to. I told you before, Midgard has advanced more than just in technology. There are people in our world with abilities, powers, some small, some so great you cannot begin to comprehend… they are mutants. Individuals genetically evolved beyond what most humans can be. We are friendly with the biggest group of such individuals. If the three of us aren't back and with good news in a determinate amount of time they will step in to protect them. No matter what you do, you will never be able to touch them. They are safe, from you, from everyone…"

The Allfather stared straight at me and I stared straight back. I had done everything in my power to protect my daughter, my family, and I did not regret a single thing, I never would, no matter what else happened. Their safety and happiness was all I cared about.

"A trial for Loki in regards to his actions last decade will be held." Odin announced strongly. "I will send the best to track down this Lady Jane and the children. We will find them."

"No, you won't." Thor, Loki and I stated at the same time, confident and unhesitating.

It was obvious they didn't believe us, but they would realize the truth of our words in due time.

* * *

So, my version of Odin... it's hard to explain. First I thought I might have been a bit too nice with him. Considering the things he told to Loki in T2tDW... "Your birthright was to die..." On the other hand, that same Odin just sent Loki to a normal cell, while mine had his mouth sewn closed, sent him to a cell called 'The Pit', and then at some point had him whipped (if you don't know what I speak of... haven't you read Nightingale? It's actually the main fic). So, I suppose my Odin just has different ways of being cruel and merciful in turns.

See ya in two weeks! (Though, I am willing to update before that if enough people want, I have finally finished writing this fic, I only have to finish some editing).

Next: Some families are made by blood, others by word, or by deed... this family is being threatened, and none of their members will allow that threat to stand. They will each fight for their own, in every way they can... Family...


	4. Family P1

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE or whatever other holiday you celebrate in these days (Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, etc.)

Quick warnings: The chapter had to be divided in two because it was too long. The second part will be up next week (promised). Second, I changed the name of Jane's ex-boyfriend to Daniel, simply because I cannot imagine anyone giving Thor a fake identity with the name of his own girlfriend's ex. The back-story on those two is based a bit on what little Jane said in the movie, and some in what I've seen done in other fics.

This chapter will keep switching POV, that's important so you understand everything that's going on. It also has a continuous time-jump, which is also important. And the secondary cameo: some characters from the Secret Circle, only the books, and the first trilogy (for I haven't read the second one yet). You don't need to read it to understand it, and aside from a couple of scenes or so they won't appear again, they're just meant to represent a point, regarding all the people that are willing to help the Family...

Now that all that has been said, on with the chapter!

* * *

**Family (Part 1) **

No matter what happened, in the end we would always be family…

**xXx Jane's POV xXx**

The first week in hiding was probably the most stressful. Having to keep myself focused on what we needed to do: mostly stay inside the house, make sure the children wouldn't panic, not lose myself to panic, and stay close to the children in case worse came to worst and we were forced to flee in a hurry.

The day things had gone to hell was bad enough: first the alarm that sent everyone in HQs rushing to their stations, then having to be evacuated to the helicarrier because we were in danger, only for the very thing our alien invaders were tracking to be brought onto the vessel along with us! With the rest of the wives and kids!

Then there was the fight. Of course, I'm a civilian I should have been in no way involved with any fighting… and it's not like I got to decide in the end. I had a taser, though it was the normal version rather than the 'electric pistol' that Stark created for Darcy. I also knew nothing of fighting, not hand to hand, or weapons, or anything. My whole life I've been a scientist, and then a mother in later years; still, I never cared for being a fighter. I'd seen Darcy in the gym during her time training to be a full-time S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent, and even afterwards, as she made sure to keep in shape; I'd seen Silbhé train in combat, with magic, weapons, and even some hand to hand, mostly with Loki and Thor in the secrecy of the Salani backyard. I never understood why they cared so much about fighting, they weren't soldiers, none of us were… it took a battle taking place right in front of me to understand.

It was bad enough to know Thor, Darcy and Phil were going to New Mexico to face the alien invaders, when that same army ended up attacking us in the helicarrier, the place where we'd been evacuated to and was supposed to be safe… I nearly blacked out with panic. Until I remembered my children: Svein and David, I had to make sure they were safe. So I pushed down my panic and I ran to them, caring little about the enemies that might be prowling inside the flying base already.

It's a good thing Loki and Silbhé were right behind me, they saved my life, more than once, before we even arrived to where the others were waiting. When I was told to get into the room I did; watching in silence as Kathryn and Happy took their weapons and went to provide backup for Silbhé and Loki, who still fought outside.

Then there was a cry, the helicarrier as a whole shook, and the door and part of the wall of the room blew up abruptly. I will never forget what I saw right in that moment: Pepper standing, a couple of feet away from me, using her own body as a shield to protect everyone else. Parts of her clothes were burnt or at least singed, the same with her skin, but she didn't seem to care; she just stood there, protective and so very strong… In that moment, unexpectedly, I wished I could be like her, that I could protect those I loved.

I will never forget the mix of pride and horror as I watched my son, my dear Svein, forming a guard of honor along with the other children: Rob, Vika, and Rose (my dear niece). Four children were set on protecting us powerless humans… granted some, like Kathryn and Gwen Stacy-Parker were doing their part, along with Silbhé and Loki; also, I had to keep my youngest son in my arms, keep him safe, while Betty and Pepper did their best to help the semi-unconscious Happy move, Mrs. Osborn had her own baby (her unborn child) to worry about. It made me wish there was some other way I could help; I promised myself that I would find a way to do it next time (because, with our record, there would be a next time), I would find something I could be good at (aside from science) and train.

Still, even my unheard wishes wouldn't stop me from being proud and terrified at the same time for the children; seeing them standing there with the same resolution as any Warrior, focused on protecting us. They might have been too young to fight like others were, but they took their duty of protectors seriously enough. And two of them were my own family, my son and niece… even if I'd never been able to acknowledge her as such, for the same reason Thor and Loki couldn't acknowledge each other as family (at least with the Hveðrungrs being the Asgard experts, no one raised a brow when we became close friends with them); didn't change the fact that we were, indeed, family; we would always be.

Getting to the hangar, instead of making us safer, only seemed to make things worse, the least of it when one of the walls was blown off and chitauri were able to get in through there as well. Loki and Silbhé were everywhere at once, using their magic openly, no longer caring if they were found out. Gwen and Kathryn were covering us, while Rose would create small flames every so often, using them to absorb stray chitauri attacks, those she didn't manage to catch, either Rob or Pepper did (taking advantage of their invulnerability and regeneration respectively).

No one could have expected it when a chitauri managed to slip behind us all. I heard MJ gasp as she tried to walk backwards and the weight on her mid-section made her trip and half-fall, until Gwen noticed and helped her regain her footing. However, the damage was done, we were left vulnerable; with the children, Pepper and Kathryn on the other side and the chitauri moving onto Betty, Happy, David… I couldn't allow it. So when the creature moved to attack either of them I didn't think, I just stepped in.

The pain… I'd never known such pain, at least not physically, not even with how long, hard and painful David's birth was, and my two miscarriages (which no one but our closest family even knows about). I was only half aware of the chitauri moving back, as I absently placed a hand over my midsection, feeling the warm blood flowing down. I half heard Loki's growl before he threw himself against the creature that had injured me… and the children were screaming…

Next thing I knew I could feel a warmth inside me. Gwen and Mary Jane were with me, and so was Silbhé, she was healing me… and then Thor was there, crying out my name, and Darcy, they were worried, and I tried to calm them down, I might have even said my sister-in-law's other name… not like anyone paid much attention, most were still focused on the fact that I'd been healed, from a wound that should have been lethal.

The battle only turned more vicious after that. No one was willing to take any chances and they took the chitauri down with speed and efficiency. I half realized that for Thor and Darcy to be there already, when the rest of the recently-dubbed Avengers hadn't yet come back couldn't mean anything good… there was a reason why Thor had been holding back the higher half of his power for the last decade. Eventually, the battle was over, we won.

When Hill's voice came over the PA system announcing we (meaning Avengers and families) were to meet in the Main Conference room I thought it was all over. I should have known better. Skye's rush into the room before we had a chance to talk about anything at all, to inform Fury that we were having visitors from Asgard… I felt as if my heart had stopped beating.

I'm quite sure that when Thor first rushed out he didn't fully realize the consequences of anyone of Asgard arriving. Still, I do know he tried to protect us, to keep us secret; it's why every time mention was made of his time on Earth he was vague, and he never turned looking for us; though I could sense his worry, his trepidation.

I could have laughed at the show Loki and Silbhé put on for the Asgardians. And yet my own anxiety stopped me. I couldn't forget that the only reason they were putting on a show at all, was for us. It would have been so easy for them to get away, so easy… Loki explained to me once, his ability to occlude himself from 'unwanted eyes', how he'd been doing it for a long time, and how he'd made sure to use it on Nightingale from the day they first became friends; to keep her safe from Heimdall, and Odin. The children and I had been placed under than same spell too, for our own protection; just like the Salani mansion had been warded. Thor on the other hand wasn't; according to Loki he couldn't be, his power changed too much (like the weather he could manipulate) and didn't have a stable base Loki could use. Still, there was no reason to suppose Asgard would be looking in on Earth… not until Thor's power called their attention.

With them so well protected it would have been all too easy for Loki and Silbhé to take Rose and vanish. I know it would have; in less than twenty four hours they would have been impossible to find… However, opposite to what most would believe of Loki: he cared, sometimes too much. I think that's probably what went so wrong in Asgard, with Odin… after all, if Loki didn't care, his father's coldness and discrimination wouldn't have bothered him; but he did, and they did.

Loki cared about Thor, very much. Silbhé told me once about how she found them in her garden, and the importance about them appearing there, with how much Loki loves her. Thor chose Loki; in the hardest moment of their lives, when hanging off the Rainbow Bridge, knowing falling into the abyss was a sure death… Thor still chose to risk it, following his brother rather than staying with his father in safety. Loki has never forgotten that. It's the whole reason the two made peace, even after the mess that were the near-Coronation and the Destroyer. It's also the whole reason why he was willing to take the risk and reveal himself before the Asgardians, to call all attention on him, and keep it away from the children and me; and of course, wherever he goes, Nightingale goes. I would be the same for Thor if it weren't for the children, someone has to stay back and keep watch over them…

When we were still in that conference room, and Silbhé and Loki told me to remember the plan… as if I could ever forget. The memory of that day, of that conversation, was clear to me even eight years after the fact; and I'm quite sure it's something that I would have remembered, just as clearly, even if decades had passed.

_We were in Salani mansion. Rose and Darcy were sitting in the middle of the rose-patch, with Rose in Darcy's lap, waving her small hands, trying to reach the nightingales flying around, Darcy giggling at her antics; while Kathryn kept careful watch over them. Loki, Thor, Silbhé and I were sitting on the back-porch, with some cold-tea and pastries. Though I was probably eating more than any of the others, being almost six months pregnant and all that. I was eating almost as much as Thor! (though really, his appetite should have been enough of a warning). _

"_You said we needed to discuss something of great importance." I reminded them as I finished the pastry on my hand, feeling my hunger satisfied; at least for a while. _

"_Indeed." Loki nodded seriously. _

_It was almost funny to hear him speak so formally, with those old speech-patterns when most of the time he sounded perfectly modern… normal. Thor had a harder time speaking like a 21__st__ century human man… of course, according to what I'd been told, Loki had been walking around Midgard for much longer than his brother. _

"_We all know that as good and almost…idyllic as the lives we currently lead might seem at times, it won't last forever." Loki stated. _

"_Nothing ever does." I nodded calmly. "It's the nature of all living things to change…" _

"_Asgard would disagree on that front, but that's not the point… or maybe that's exactly it." He shook his head. _

"_I'm afraid I do not understand." I turned towards my husband in confusion. _

"_Jane, my dearest Jane…" Thor began, then sighed. _

_He'd taken to calling me his wife ever since we'd finally gotten married, three months before. It was truly adorable. But really, we'd been together for over two years, practically since we met again on the porch of Silbhé's home (after a rather confusing yet exciting game of hide-and-seek-from-S.H.I.E.L.D. to get from New Mexico to that place without being noticed). I'd known since I saw the penetrating look he directed Loki and Silbhé as they recited their vows during the more private part of their wedding ceremony that that was what he wanted for the two of us. The ceremony, the bond… I honestly did not care much about it. _

_It's a little known fact but I actually was in a relationship before I met Thor. He was a doctor, medical doctor, Dr. Daniel Blake… he worked mostly in the hospital in Santa Fe, doing consults ever so often in Puente Antiguo. We didn't get the chance to spend much time together, due to both our jobs, but it still worked fine for us… or at least that's what I thought. Until the day I actually left work early, I bought sexy lingerie (which, I never do!) was going to surprise him by meeting him in the hospital at the time he was supposed to get out… the surprise was on me, when I found him in the break room, screwing one of the nurses! We were engaged to be married! Had been living together for months! _

_That's actually how I ended up living in that trailer in Puente Antiguo, after I packed all my things and left the apartment we'd been sharing in Santa Fe. He actually went looking for me, several times, before Thor… For weeks he would appear on his free day with a bouquet of roses, poems full of apologies, invite me to dinner, or dancing, or anything… I actually came pretty close to forgiving him. I didn't actually love him; but I was just so afraid of ending up alone. A pretty high possibility considering my job and my… quirks. Darcy thought it was stupid, kept telling me that being alone wasn't the worst that could happen to me; and that, regardless, I deserved better than the 'two-timing-bastard' (her words, not mine). Then I realized one thing: I didn't love Daniel, hadn't for a long time… even when he'd first proposed… being with him had become a habit, part of my routine… there was no passion, no love… _

_Almost a week later, Thor appeared, and nothing was ever the same again. The next time Daniel visited I told him it was over. He seemed honestly surprised; the idiot actually had the gall to tell me that it was one thing for me to play hard to get, but I couldn't actually think I would ever find someone else if I didn't accept him! Like he was doing me a favor by being with me! Like I was a chore! I was livid. Actually had half a thought to tell him who (and what) exactly I had kissed just a few days before, and the promise he'd made to me, of coming back, for me… I managed to hold myself back though, knowing Thor's existence was supposed to be a secret. And, in any case, Darcy happened to be around and hear him; she tased him pretty good. It was a good incentive for him to stay away. _

_In any case, after the fiasco that was Daniel I just lost interest in marriage. Even after seeing Loki and Silbhé marry… it just didn't seem important to me. I knew it was special for them, but I just didn't see it… _

_Then, two years later I spent a week feeling sick to my stomach before Silbhé finally pointed out to her daughter, reminding me just how horribly sick she herself had been (until she discovered the miracle of ginger). Ten minutes later I had a plastic stick in my hand announcing I was pregnant… and how the hell did that happen?! I was being careful! Taking pills and everything! (Because Thor just didn't understand what condoms were supposed to be for… and since we were being exclusive, and I knew him not to be have any STDs, I'd let it pass). Had I forgotten to take the pills? Had they failed? In the end, it didn't matter much, I was still pregnant. _

_Thor, of course, was delighted by my being pregnant; enough that he was all for shouting the fact to the four winds. Until something occurred to him: we weren't married. Which, according to the way he'd been raised (and technically according to the laws in our world too) meant our child would be illegitimate. He refused to allow such a thing; claiming that even if we weren't in Asgard he wanted any child we had together to be seen as his son, to be his heir… when he added that he loved me, us, and didn't want there to be any doubt about his love I just couldn't help but say yes. So after making some arrangements we were finally married (a private ceremony, since we didn't care much for making a big production of it). And after three months… we found ourselves discussing our future… and that of our children. _

"_Jane." Finally, it was Silbhé who broke the heavy silence. "You know, we all do, that there is a reason we're staying away from Asgard as much as we can. As much as you might have had good intentions when you were working on the Foster window I cannot help but feel thankful you did not manage to reach Asgard, because if you had…" She shook her head. "It wouldn't have been good. It won't…" _

"_The Allfather is not a merciful man, no matter what he might want others to believe." Loki stated coldly. "Nor is he understanding. There is a reason why I've kept Nightingale occluded from his eyes, and Heimdall's, the whole time we've been friends. Our relationship is something the Allfather, and Asgard as a whole, will never accept; even when we were friends they would have been against it. And now? We're married, we have a child! We're a family! We're bound through the Ancient Rites, that is something that will stand up to any power, and will last till the universe collapses upon itself. Yet he wouldn't care. If Odin were to find out right now about all of this… I would be sent to the Pit, I imagine, Nightingale would be made to forget she ever knew me; she would be left a twenty-nine-year-old woman with two decades full of blanks in her memory; that is, at least, if she were allowed to keep her life!" He shuddered. "And I don't even want to think what kind of twisted fate would befall Rose!" _

_I too shuddered at the prospect. It was one thing to know Loki did not get along with his father… and a very different one to be told, in detail, what would become of one side of my family if they were ever found. Only… it wasn't a matter of 'them', no, it was 'us'. Because I was married to Thor, bound by the very same rites that Loki and Silbhé had used (I have to admit that the romanticism of staying together to the end of time won me over); and we had a son on the way… yes, the very same dangers that threatened Loki's family were also on us. _

_I had always known there was an element of risk to being with Thor, that his family might not approve. I'd had no idea how bad things could get but still. The whole reason I'd pushed forward with the creation of the window even with Loki's reservations was in an attempt to have Asgard accept me, have the Allfather like me… I believed that if I showed him we humans were capable of contacting them he would see us as worthy. After hearing Loki enlisting what Odin would do to him, his wife and daughter… I no longer had such illusions. _

_It would have been a whole different situation if it were just us four. Silbhé had stated time and again that she would always stand by her match's side, regardless of the dangers or the possible consequences. I liked to believe I was brave enough to do the same. However, putting a child in any such danger… that was something I wasn't willing to do. _

_Almost without noticing, my hand strayed to my rounded abdomen, my palm splayed open over it in a subconscious protective gesture. _

"_You can see the problem with our usual course of action." Loki nodded grimly at me. _

"_At first, when it was just Rose." Silbhé clarified. "We'd decided that if it ever came to that we would send her away with Aunt Kathryn. She, like I, has double citizenship, and once in the UK her old contacts could help her and Rose disappear. Now… things have changed." _

"_Because of my baby." I nodded. "You have a plan, I imagine." _

"_We do." Loki nodded seriously. "It has you disappearing with the children instead of Kathryn. With the aid of some magic…" _

It was a pretty elaborate plan: Loki had prepared a complicated teleportation spell, giving it physical form: of a small crystal bangle that I then hung on a charm bracelet I wore. The spell would get me, and whoever was holding onto me at the time I used it, straight to Salani mansion. Where the magical wards Loki had erected through the years would be able to keep us away from prying, unwanted eyes; as added protection Kathryn and Darcy had worked together to erase all register of the property from any database. In the basement of the mansion a room was filled with enough food to last five people up to six months. That was the second part of the plan. Because if I was forced to flee with the children in an emergency it was likely all kind of resources would be pushed into finding us; but if we stayed inside the limits of the mansion, they wouldn't be able to find us; and after a while they would give up, or at least slacken up. So once a few months had passed we would take off; Canada, the UK, Australia, or even just another part of the continent, whichever was safest. There was also the part that stated that if the departure had to be done in a rush Loki and Silbhé would make sure to stop anyone from following me and the children, as well as erase any trace the teleporting spell might leave. In the end Thor couldn't join us, for he couldn't be occluded; and Loki and Silbhé were well willing to let themselves be caught to make sure Rose, David, Svein and I weren't…

Other details were added to the plan in the following years. After first Rose and then Svein manifested we got to meet Charles Xavier and his partner Max Eisenhardt; the heads of a very specialized school in Westchester, NY… Charles had learnt of the plan and had offered to give us all asylum if it ever became necessary. He was another who had double citizenship, and the considerable fortune to his name gave him the necessary resources to help us 'disappear' if it ever became necessary; then there was Max's experience as a former Nazi-hunter and once-leader of the second most important mutant group in the planet…

And they were just the first group to offer us help. There were others. Unknown to S.H.I.E.L.D. and even most of our friends, there were a variety of people throughout the country, and the world, who had incredible abilities; people who weren't necessarily mutants or 'heroes'. Individuals who were called by a variety of names, of titles: witches, wizards, warlocks, mages, shamans, priestesses, shape-shifters, cyborgs, warriors… gifted… freaks… Among those we met many learnt of our plight and offered their help. It helped us all sleep easier; knowing that if trouble ever came we would be prepared… and it did.

No, I never forgot that conversation. Even after more than seven years I always made sure to have my charm bracelet on, made sure the bangle was there, made sure I knew where the children were at all times… I was prepared to put the plan into action when it finally became necessary; I just wasn't prepared for how much it would hurt… Knowing I was leaving people I loved: my husband, my brother, my sister… I was leaving them there to take the fall for something we'd all done… and I had to do it, because someone had to stay with the children, and the deamarkonian meant Silbhé's life was tied to Loki in a way that, even with the Ancient Rites, mine wasn't to Thor's. It was why the plans never contemplated Silbhé running with the children, or even with just Rose… she simply couldn't. As long as Odin had one, the other could be tracked. And if the two disappeared it would have been harder to keep the children hidden.

So in the end I took the children, released the teleportation spell and silently prayed for the best. Three months later I was still hoping and praying…

"Aunt Jane…?"

The moment I heard the voice calling me I knew it did not belong to Rose. Even though logic indicated it could be no one else, she was supposed to be the only niece of mine in the house, in the world even. Except she wasn't. No, the voice belonged to my other niece… the one that wasn't supposed to be able to be in the world of the Living… the one who ruled the Land of the Dead, who I owed my life to…

"Hela…?" I called in a daze.

There she was, standing in front of me, a light glamour was covering the darker side of her body (what her midnight blue dress did not cover) which I knew about because I'd seen it, seen all of her during my time in Helheim. I knew the glamour was mostly for the children's benefit, so they didn't have to see her like that and either be scared worry; and I was quite confident it would be the latter. I would admit to have gotten a bit nervous when I'd seen her in her real form, not because I felt negatively about her appearance, but because seeing her like that made me feel bad, feel like she was probably hurting, and I didn't like people to hurt, especially when there was nothing I could do about it; it was one of the reasons I rarely ever visited Daniel at the hospital, because I couldn't stand seeing and hearing all the people in pain (on the other hand, maybe if I'd visited more I would have found out about his infidelities sooner).

Her name wasn't supposed to be pronounced like that, I knew, Silbhé had explained to me how a lot of Nordic mythology had either been lost in the translation a long time ago, or was simply wrong from the very beginning (like all of Loki's other kids); but I'd always preferred calling her that than just Hel (which brought up a completely different imagery in my mind, which I just didn't like connecting with my niece).

I was very shocked by her presence, so much I didn't actually notice when my legs folded beneath me and I collapsed.

"Aunt Jane!" She cried out, dropping to her knees beside me and catching me.

It took a while for my head to clear enough for me to fully process conscious thought again, something that never happened to me.

"Hela?" I asked again, cocking my head sideways, only to notice then my position and grow even more confused. "What happened…?"

"You half-fainted, I think." She clarified with a sigh, helping me sit up. "You should really take better care of yourself aunt… especially in your condition."

"My condition…?" That threw me for a loop.

"Yes." She seemed confused in turn by that. "Did you not know? You're with child."

I almost fainted again at that. It was impossible! I screamed those words inside my own mind even as my right hand flew to my abdomen automatically; only then did I notice that it was beginning to grow, it was also then that I came to the realization that I was late… by at least twelve weeks! How hadn't I noticed that before? I wasn't supposed to be able to get pregnant. After David's birth… it was so hard, and the doctors almost lost me (technically they did lose me, and Hela saved me). Thor and I were told the chances of us ever having more children were of less than 10%. Still, we tried for a while; it took two miscarriages, the second one causing me serious blood loss, until I finally gave up on ever having another child, on ever having my little girl… what had changed then?

As soon as the question came to mind, the answer did as well. I saw it clearly in my mind's eye: the chaos in the helicarrier's hangar, the chitauri's staff weapon piercing my middle, collapsing to the metal floor, a hand drenched in blood, Gwen and Mary Jane screaming for help, my children screaming in panic… then she was there, my sister-in-law and spirit was there, with the light and the warmth in her hands… and she was healing me… healing…

I burst into tears as my mind began to truly realize what Silbhé had done in that moment, to comprehend the miracle I was being granted.

"Aunt…?" Hel looked truly concerned about me.

"Nightingale…" I told her with a quiet yet deeply emotional voice.

"My mom…?" She didn't get it, not yet.

"She healed me…" I added brokenly.

And suddenly she understood.

"Oh Aunt!" She embraced me tightly.

"It's a miracle…" I sobbed. "A little miracle… a…"

"A girl…" Hela clarified, a tear falling down her own cheek. "You're having a girl…"

My baby girl! My miracle baby was the girl I'd wished and prayed for, for as long as I'd known I wanted to have children! My baby! My Astrid!

For a few minutes we just sat there, on the floor, basking on the miracle that Nightingale had granted me; probably without even realizing it, for I'm quite sure that had she known she would have done it years earlier.

While my delight didn't vanish, eventually I had enough presence of mind to remember why exactly Hela's presence had shocked me so much.

"Not that I'm not absolutely delighted to see you, Hela." I told her seriously. "But how exactly can you be here? I mean… I thought there were rules…"

"There are." Hela nodded, suddenly turning just as serious. "Very strict rules, laid down by the Allfather himself. However, he's breaking rules himself…"

"I don't understand." I truly didn't.

"Well, first of all, there's the fact that a trial in Asgard, especially one this high-profile is never supposed to last more than a fortnight, yet it's been six since the Warriors took mom, dad and Uncle Thor to the Realm Eternal." Hela tried to explain. "The rules set by the Allfather exist for a reason, to keep balance… by extending the time of the trial, especially without a good enough motive, he's breaking his own rules. However, the most important and dangerous matter is the excessive and reckless use of the Tesseract to continuously break the barriers between worlds… It's what they're doing, in absence of the Bifrost, to get the warriors in between the two realms as they keep searching for all of you. I wonder if Odin has grown so arrogant he believes his own rules do not apply to him? In any case, the imbalance caused thus far has been enough to allow me to walk among the living without his leave, in a manner I haven't been able since I left Asgard to take the place of Queen of Helheim…"

"But if Odin's arrogance is causing an imbalance… it won't be just in Asgard and Helheim…" I couldn't believe the man could be that stupid.

"No, it won't." Hel nodded quietly. "If the imbalance is big enough to cause something like allowing me out of Helheim I cannot imagine what it will mean for other realms, especially Asgard, and Midgard…" She shook her head. "The ripples are extending, any day now something will happen. Something huge. I do not know what, or where exactly it'll happen. But it's why I'm here, to help you, help protect you and the children…"

"Thank you…" I smiled at her.

Truly, in that moment, when everything had seemed so bleak, knowing she would be there to help was a blessing I wasn't expecting. Now if I could only get the rest of my family back (in one piece) everything would be perfect. I wanted to be able to tell Thor we were going to have a baby girl and see his face!

In the end all I could do was wait and pray, again… at least I wasn't alone anymore. No, my niece was there with me; it wasn't perfect, but it was certainly better than it had been before.

**xXx Kathryn's POV xXx **

I waited in silence as, one by one, the holographic video-feeds turned off; keeping my silence as the tall dark figure in the signature black-leather trench-coat and boots, that had been standing in front of them stoically laid his hands on the closest table, doubling over it in silence, all muscles completely tense; it was the only expression of feeling that ever came from him, of his anger and his exhaustion both…

"I know you're there." He stated evenly as he straightened up.

Of course he knew, it's not like I ever thought otherwise, or like I'd been trying to conceal my presence from him in the first place; I was keeping it, keeping myself, away from the eyes of the World Council though. I'd managed to mostly stay away from them for a decade since returning to S.H.I.E.L.D. and was in no hurry to meet them again (Granted, the Council members I used to know weren't the same ones that I'd had to deal with when I was an Elite Agent thirty years before, but still, it's not like they were any better either, and in fact, most of them, I was quite sure, were even worse).

"They're getting pushy…" I commented evenly as I took a seat on a nearby chair.

"That's not them being pushy." He said grimly as he sat in his own chair. "That's them being annoying about the fact that they're not getting their way…"

"They should get used to it." I shrugged. "Being denied it's not the end of the world. If children can learn the meaning of the word no, so should they be able to."

"They're not exactly used to being denied…" He reminded me.

"Hum…" As if I hadn't known that already, as well as something else. "Neither are you…"

"I've been getting some practice this last decade." He almost, almost smirked at that. "You've never been one to make my life easier…"

"I would rather make it more interesting." I quipped with a half smirk. "Life is short, you need to learn to enjoy it, Nicholas."

He just rolled his eyes. He'd long given up on me calling him anything but his full first name… of course, it was his own fault.

Nicholas and I went way back, though less than a handful of people knew we'd ever known each other before the day I signed the papers for my reinstatement… We went back to a time when I actually believed that secret agencies like the SSR, MI5 and S.H.I.E.L.D. would one day change the world, for the better, that I would one day change the world… I was young, and naïve and too trusting back then. And yet not all my experiences from that time were bad, most were actually pleasant (for the most part).

I was born Kathryn Eileen Salani, to two of England's best Secret Agents; the stories of the 00s, including the fabled 'Bond, James Bond…'? They come from an elite group of agents they were a part of. As was I, once upon a time. I was recruited when I was 18 (and I know for a fact they had an eye on me ever since I was fifteen). I didn't want to be a part of them; I'd seen what being an Agent did to a person, to a family. My little brother Sebastian hardly ever saw our parents, and by the time they died he had not enough feelings for them inside himself to cry. It was almost like he didn't care; one could say he simply never truly knew them, or they him. During those years I tried my best to show him he was loved, I would like to believe I succeeded; at least until I turned 18 and everything went to hell. They really, really wanted a Salani to join the newest generation of Secret Agents… I didn't care for it. Really, all I wanted was to be a nurse, to help save lives… and then they threatened the only thing I held dear: my baby brother. They would get a Salani one way or the other, and Sebas was already showing himself to be a brilliant mathematician; his dream was to build things… the government would have had him destroy. I refused to allow it. So I offered myself instead.

I became an Agent, but while I knew I was doing what they wanted, I chose to do it in my own terms. First of all I changed my name, taking my mother's surname; so as to protect Sebastian from any possible reprisals for my actions: I became Kathryn Adler. I finished training in record time and soon was the youngest MI5 Agent in record. I didn't last very long there, though, soon the SSR snatched me up (that had been their plan all along). My very first SO was one of the organization's best: Sharon Carter; in a relatively short time I was promoted to her partner, with both of us working directly for the 2IC of the organization, a legend all on her own: Margaret "Peggy" Carter (she was also Sharon's aunt and the one to have raised her after her brother –Sharon's dad- and his wife passed away from neumonia). My first mission was connected to the continued search for Captain America. The Tesseract had been found years earlier, but the plane and the captain himself were still missing; and Agent Carter, the millionaire Howard Stark in America, as well as the dozen or so survivors from the Howling Commandos simply refused to give up, no matter how much time passed.

A few years after I joined the SSR, and with still no results on the search for Captain America, Carter offered me a chance for something more. It was something Stark, she and a handful of others had been talking on and off of doing for years. Talks had gotten more serious after 1962, with the loss of the American Paranormal Bureau and the near-Nuclear war… however, nothing had been definite, until then.

So S.H.I.E.L.D. was created. As Peggy's protégés, Sharon and I had the second highest rank straight out, along with half a dozen others, who had arrived with the other founders; among them was one Nicholas 'Call-me-Nicholas-not-Nick-or-Nicky-or-anything-else' Fury; he said that a dozen times at least in his first week, whenever anyone tried to call him anything but his full name, which is why I would never call him anything but, not even thirty years later, when almost everyone called him Nick (and how that came to happen after he used to take such offense to it, I honestly had no idea).

I'm not sure how it happened exactly, but Sharon and I ended up teamed with him. We were called the Elites; the best agents S.H.I.E.L.D. had; some even assured that one day we would take over the organization… I suppose that became true at least on a third; on the other two: I retired after fifteen years of service (counting MI5 and SSR), Sharon died during a top-secret, high-profile, undercover solo mission a few years later, while Nicholas continued ascending until he gained the post of Director…

After I left S.H.I.E.L.D. I wanted to know nothing of it. Truly, being an Agent had robbed me of fifteen years of my life, and not only that, it had also taken the connection I used to have with my brother. I wasn't there to see him marry his high-school sweetheart: Aislinn Kinross; I didn't even know he was getting married until after the fact (and the first picture I saw happened to be in the society section of a week's old newspaper that Melinda saved for me), same with the birth of their only child: Silbhé Arianna. However, when Aislinn died less than three years after Silbhé's birth I made my choice: I chose family. I gave up my life as an Agent, as an Elite; and became Kathryn Salani again. I got the needed qualifications to be a nurse (I'd studied enough medicine while on the job) and went home. When Sebastian announced the move to the States I didn't complain, just followed him. I got registered in the hospital of the small town near Portland, Maine where Salani Mansion was located; however, for the most part, I spent the next years focused on raising Silbhé.

I knew I was giving up on some good things when I left S.H.I.E.L.D. It wasn't the organization, or the mission, and I certainly could do without the World Council breathing over me all the time; but I had to give up friends, friends like Sharon, and Peggy, and even Nicholas. There were also the rookies we'd been training together: Maria Hill, Melinda May and Phillip Coulson. Another trio of prodigies, just like we'd been; some said we were trying to train our successors, maybe we were… not that it worked, exactly.

I never planned on going back to S.H.I.E.L.D., when Silbhé and Loki told me what they were doing I thought they were absolutely insane. Even if the rational part of my mind understood why they were doing it (on one side, to be close to Loki's brother and that side of the family; on the other so they could keep an eye on what the government might find out about Asgard, and possibly even them), I still did not like it, though I still went with them in the end. It was surreal, seeing Phil again, after more than a decade of being gone, and with him not recognizing me. I wasn't actually that much older than him, a decade at most… (then again, I was very young when I was at S.H.I.E.L.D.). I had already known Nicholas was Director, even retired I still had enough contacts to learn that; however, what I'd never expected was to find two of our old rookies taking the positions of 2nd and 3rd in command; and knowing the third had chosen desk duty over a decade before, after a mission that had gone wrong… I already knew Sharon was dead (another thing I found out promptly enough). Still, it wasn't easy walking down those halls without her there, and when seeing Nicholas with that eye-patch (that one I had not known about). It drove home the point of just how long it had been…

Even though I'd arrived with Silbhé and Loki, and that I filed the papers for my return to duty; Nicholas knew that wasn't what I wanted. I was given mostly desk duty, and a chance to home-school the children when they came. After Sebastian died, Silbhé's family was all I had left.

Which explained what I was doing there in that moment. I had known about The Plan, of course, I was there when it was made and explained to Jane (even if I was mostly watching over Rose at the time). I also knew that before Jane became pregnant the plan had me running with my grandniece instead; and while I was all for protecting my family I would rather do it from a place where I could actually be active rather than just hiding.

"When were you planning on telling me I had Loki, Thor's insane, traitorous brother, as a high ranking member of S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Nicholas inquired with false calm.

Of course I'd known the question was coming. The only surprise was that it had taken him so long to ask it, almost four months in fact; I'd actually expected it to be the first thing that came out of his mouth the moment the Asgardians took Thor, Loki and Silbhé away! Along with him ordering everyone in S.H.I.E.L.D. to find Jane and the children and take them into custody… which, by the way, he hadn't done either.

"Never." I answered him blankly.

He just shook his head, really, he should have been expecting that answer already.

"And really Nicholas, insane? Traitorous? The boy has done nothing to hurt anyone at least in the last decade." I added flippantly.

"Boy?" What could almost be called a snort came from his mouth. "You do realize he's at least fifteen times our age, right?"

"More like twenty, but that's not the point." I insisted.

"What's the point then?" He seemed to really want to know. "How long have you even know about all of this Katharine?"

I rolled my eyes. While I insisted on calling him by his full name, he insisted on calling me Katharine every so often. Although, in the case of that name, it wasn't my real one, it was actually a cover I'd used once for a long term undercover operation he and I had to go on, in Egypt, about two years or so into our service in S.H.I.E.L.D. and as a team. The whole operation had been… complicated to say the least, memorable in some ways I almost never allowed myself to think about (and we certainly never talked about). Still, the name was a reminder of things that had once been, things that could never be again…

"I have known since the moment I saw my niece at the dining table with two Asgardians having dinner." I told him with complete honesty. "Actually, some things I knew since the day I went into my niece's bedroom and found her sleeping at perfect ease, just days after I'd been sure she wouldn't be waking up again… I knew that whatever force had saved her wasn't from this world. Learning about Loki… it made sense. And how could I ever have anything against the man that saved the most important person in my life?"

Fury did not answer that, I wasn't expecting him to; instead he changed topics, a bit.

"You know where they are right now, don't you?" He didn't actually wait for an answer. "But you won't tell. No, of course you won't…"

"Are you going to make things harder than they have to be?" I asked him straight out.

"What can I do?" He shrugged nonchalantly. "It's not like I know anything at all, do I? And if someone else in this place were to help them in any way… well, I have too many people under my command, it wouldn't be the first time that something gets past me. I never worry about things that do not threaten this world."

Plausible deniability, he was choosing to go down that path. It could be worse, I supposed. At least I knew he wasn't going to make things harder than they had to be, for me, Phil, Darcy and anyone else we might rope into helping us.

"You might consider talking with Professor Xavier." I commented abruptly. "He and his partner are all over this."

As were the Richards (and the other two members of their own team) and several other groups he need not know about… not yet in any case (though representatives of at least two were quite willing to reveal themselves to a small number of S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents if they were allowed to help with what we all knew was coming).

"You know the policy S.H.I.E.L.D. has regarding mutants." He stated.

"I know the policy Stark and Peggy had regarding mutants; one out of hate, the other out of fear, both entirely misguided… but we're not them." I reminded him. "And the world is changing, we need to change with it."

He nodded noncommittally; it wasn't as much as I was hoping for, but at least he hadn't shot me down right away, like we both knew our old bosses would have in his place… in any case, it was progress. Having said all that needed to be said I turned to leave, stopping just a step inside the office when he called in my direction.

"Do you ever wonder… what could have been?" He asked in a voice so quiet, so… soft, it almost didn't seem like him, at all…

"I cannot…" I admitted, back still to him, focusing on keeping my emotions carefully contained. "Nicholas… we each made our own decision…"

"You chose family." He stated in an almost empty voice.

"And you chose duty." I said in turn.

Not another word was said; for a few seconds we just stood there, my back still turned to him, then I just stepped out of the office and left.

**xXx Darcy's POV xXx **

I was sitting behind my desk in my side of the office I shared with my partner/SO (and, unknown to everyone else, fiancée as well); any other pair in our position would have had each their respective office, but the moment he'd gotten his assigned Phil had decided it was too big just for him and insisted on sharing it with me (at a time when I'd just been named his PA), it worked fairly well, and had ever since.

I was supposed to be checking (for the umpteenth time) that all protocols were in place for the second phase of The Plan; however, I couldn't help but direct my eyes to my left hand every so often, every time I did the ring on my finger would catch my eyes, and I would remember how awesome it was that I was, finally, engaged to Phil! Truly, we'd been together for years, long enough that there were rumors going around that we were, in fact, married, and just didn't care to inform everyone else. I might have said in the past I didn't care about marriage, and maybe in the past I didn't but… well, battle, especially one (or more) like the ones we had against the chitauri; and then coming painfully close to losing the man I love… that can change anyone's perspective. It certainly changed mine:

_It was insane, arriving to the helicarrier when it was in the middle of a battle. Still, for that very same reason I couldn't exactly just stand there and ponder on things, instead I pulled out my two handguns and began shooting the electric charges at any and all chitauri that got into my crosshairs. Most of the times one charge wasn't enough to fully take them down, (not unless I hit them directly in the face, where there was no helmet) or a small space devoid of armor in the back of their necks. _

_I don't even know how I found out Jane had been badly injured… it might have been Thor's booming voice calling for his wife. By the time we reached her Silbhé already had the matter under control (though the size of the bloodstain on Jane's clothes was still enough to make anyone stop in shock. Thor and I couldn't even get payback because Loki had already taken care of the particular chitauri responsible, thoroughly. Doesn't mean we didn't use our considerable abilities to take down any and all we could. _

_After a relatively short time (at least in comparison to what I imagine the battle had lasted before our arrival) dad arrived, straight out taking out a number of chitauri that had been threatening to overcome Silbhé even with her magic (and I was still surprised to see her and Loki using their powers so openly; though, on the other hand, the situation was certainly dire enough). _

_After Iron Man came Phil and the rest of the new Avengers in the helicarrier, I could vaguely hear Clint calling for landing authorization on the surface of the flying base. _

"_Agent Lewis." A man called me from a side. _

_I recognized Grant Ward, Level 8 and leader of the Beta Team (it was the post Phil had had before earning Level 9 clearance and becoming one of the three highest ranking individuals in S.H.I.E.L.D.). The one problem of being Phil's PA as well as his partner in the field was that those under him would turn to me whenever he wasn't around; I'd had to grow used to it through the years, it was still more responsibility than I ever wanted to have. _

"_Yes?" I asked turning to him, most of my attention on any possible new attack. _

"_Director Fury wants us to comb through the helicarrier, make sure there are no aliens left on board, before we rendezvous with him and the Avengers on top." He informed me. _

_I signaled for him to lead even as my mind considered the last part of his statement. How exactly had he known about the Avengers Initiative? It's not like he was in the meeting when the team was formed… he had the clearance, certainly, but still… I wondered if Skye was getting into files she shouldn't… again. No one tried to stop her as long as it wasn't a danger for us and ours, and I would even consider it a good way to test the Tech Department and their firewalls. Still, Fury didn't like it when unauthorized people learnt things he didn't want them to; and that was one thing Skye seemed to be dangerously good at… _

_Right as we finally reached the landing pad on the helicarrier my handguns ran out of charges, so I holstered them again and went hand to hand against the nearest chitauri. With some creative moves (thanks to the training I'd gotten from Natasha and Kathryn) I managed to take the alien's staff and began using it against my opponents. _

_We went on like that for a handful of minutes, and eventually I saw Phil again; he was just a few feet away from me, shooting some chitauri of his own with his usual aloofness, and he looked pretty hot while doing it too… I hoped we would get some private time soon after the battle was over, rather than end up locked up for a half-a-day-long debriefing; seeing Phil in combat always seemed to make me all hot and bothered… and then I noticed the chitauri going after him from behind. I tried to shoot it, but my distraction cost me as another chitauri managed to shot the weapon off my hands; I wasn't truly hurt, but I lost any chance of protecting Phil from a distance. So I did all I could in that moment: I screamed: _

"_Phil!" _

_He reacted to my voice instantly, looking around, searching for me, even as I was half-distracted by having to use some hand to hand to take down the chitauri closing in on me. Still, I had enough of my own attention on him to see that by the time he finally made to turn it was already too late, the chitauri's spear went straight through his chest, the tip actually becoming visible out the front of his chest. _

"_PHIL!" I screamed once more, my second cry far more shrill than my first one. _

_I'm not fully aware of what happened during the next few seconds, though I am fairly sure the chitauri still trying to kill me fell to an arrow piercing its neck. I didn't pay much attention to it, though; instead sprinting across the tarmac in Phil's direction. I didn't care about the dwindling battle anymore, ignoring the small pockets of fighting still taking place; when one chitauri came too close I simply dropped to my knees, sliding the last few feet before reaching my fallen lover. _

_He was on his side and even as I touched his face and looked him over to try and asses the gravity of the injury I remained aware enough to know not to move him unless it was absolutely necessary. I was a certified paramedic, just like Jane, Silbhé, and a few other civilian consultants at S.H.I.E.L.D. (it had first been Silbhé's idea, and Phil had liked it, in case of an emergency). He was bleeding badly, and considering where his injuries were located I was quite sure the spear, at the very least had pierced his lung and nicked (or possibly worse, though I didn't really want to contemplate that possibility) his heart. _

_For a handful of seconds panic threatened to drown me and then, as Phil's blue-grey eyes met my darker blue ones it suddenly dawned on me: he couldn't die… Phil couldn't die… I couldn't lose him… I loved him too much to let him go… _

_Just like that, it suddenly hit me: the crystal vial I kept hidden in a specially made compartment, right beside the holster of one of my handguns. The vial of healing powder Silbhé and Loki had given me shortly after she discovered her healing gift… _

"_Don't you dare die on me Phil…" I hissed at him even as I reached for the vial, my hands almost shaking too much to hold it right. "You hear me? You better not die on me!" My voice broke a bit as I added. "I love you so much, please… don't leave me…" _

_It looked like he might want to say something, but was in too much pain; he was even having trouble breathing. Seeing him in such pain broke my heart; at the same time it somehow seemed to flip a switch inside my own head, as I abruptly became perfectly balanced. _

_Black Widow reached us right about then. She too dropped to her knees beside me. Her hands half-reaching towards Phil before stopping, realizing there was nothing she could do. _

"_We need to get him to medical, stat!" She hissed, stressed out. _

"_No." I shook my head. "They cannot help him. I can…" _

_That made her turn to stare straight at me. _

"_I… I think it might help if we take off his jacket, to get a better access to the wound." I decided. _

_I wasn't sure if she believed me I could help; but in the end she didn't contradict me, she just pulled a knife out of nowhere and methodically cut off the back of Phil's jacket. _

"_I'm sorry if this hurts, but I promise it will help you…" I told him softly as I took a look at the wound on his back, it was bad. _

_Then, without further ado, I poured over half of the contents of the vial straight into his wound. _

"_What do you think you're doing?!" Widow cried out, reaching to the vial. _

"_Saving him." I almost snapped back at her. "This is healing powder. It's Asgardian. Trust me." _

_The last words did it. Natasha had known me for years, since I first had begun dating Phil. She had actually stared me down, without a word, for almost fifteen minutes straight when we saw each other after the first date; then, when I did not back out she declared I was right for Phil and that she approved. She offered to help with my training so I would be better able to protect myself (lessen the chances of something happening to me and Phil ending up hurt either protecting me or because of my loss). _

_Phil let out a loud groan, enough to make me wince, but when the blood stopped spilling out and there was a white glow in the wound I smiled. Then I proceeded to turn him on his back and pour what was left of the healing powder on the wound on his chest. It worked pretty well. _

_I sagged in relief, tears finally falling down my eyes. _

_Around us the battle had ended at some point; I didn't know when, nor did I care; in that moment I cared about nothing besides the man laying on the tarmac in front of me. _

_It took almost a full minute but finally Phil was fully recovered and he sat up, gingerly bringing a hand to his chest. There was a bright red spot on his shirt and jacket, and even his skin had a pink-red tone where the blood had stained it; but there was no wound at all, and only the lightest of scars to show for the wound that nearly killed him. That had almost taken him from my side… irrevocably… forever… I couldn't help it, I let out a sob. _

_I wasn't aware the moment he moved, only that suddenly I was pretty much straddling his lap, and he was kissing me with an unrestrained passion and abandon, the kind that he never showed outside our apartment. I had no idea what had made him change his mind, but the mix of the relief, the love and the absolute joy I felt made so I responded to him with all I had. _

_Eventually we had to break off to breathe, and yet, the next words to come out his mouth were enough to leave me breathless all over again: _

"_Marry me Darcy…" _

Some would say it wasn't exactly the most romantic proposal of all time. What could be considered romantic about being sitting on the metal ground of the landing pad in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s helicarrier in half-ruined clothes, covered in dirt, sweat and blood, still not having quite come down from the adrenaline high caused by the battle? However, the other side of the coin was that we were in that moment in each other's arms, when just two minutes before we'd seemed to be condemned to losing each other; and suddenly all the old doubts, of age and maturity and experience and change, all the complaints and deep seated distrust in things like papers and the 'institute of marriage' didn't matter anymore. All that mattered was that we were together, and that was how we wanted to stay… for the rest of our lives…

Of course, after that things pretty much went to hell in a hand-basket, what with the arrival of the Asgardians, the implementation of The Plan and everything… Still, once S.H.I.E.L.D. finally let us go back to our apartments (two full weeks later) the first thing Phil did was give me my ring, it was small, simple, a claddagh (because Silbhé and Loki had made us love the significance of it), white-gold band with a small diamond in the middle of the heart with the slightest hint of a blue tone; it was perfect (god knows how long he'd had it, it was hidden deep in a box he'd filled with old Captain America memorabilia –the one place he'd known I'd never find it-). We spent the whole night making sweet love to each other.

Then, the next morning, it was time to face the real world. Thor, Loki and Silbhé had been taken to Asgard to stand trial (and I didn't even want to think how that might turn, considering what I knew of the so-called Allfather…); Jane and the children were in hiding (both Phil and I knew where, but pretended otherwise, just like Kathryn did). Phil realized, of course, that I knew about Loki, had known for a long time, but he never commented on it; he understood secrets and the necessity for them, he also realized that no offense was intended to him when we chose not to tell him. Instead we focused on things we might be able to do to help… which is pretty much what we did during the following months.

I finally turned my attention to the tablet in my hand, accessing some of the files I had concerning protocols, as well as some notes I kept on hand regarding The Plan and how I could help make sure everything went well. There was not much I could actually do, aside from making sure Jane and the children weren't found by the Asgardians who were still looking for them, and field the inquiries several concerned (and special) individuals were making concerning their (especially Silbhé and Loki's) sudden disappearance. Most were quite easy, people that knew enough (or were unaware of enough) to just accept that what was going on was classified, others… were another matter entirely, especially those connected in any way to The Plan. Like the Secret Circle… the call from a week before was one situation I did not care to repeat.

_It was the middle of the day and I was frantically typing away, tagging any and every file that was connected to the 'family'; it was a precautionary measure, in case everything needed to disappear. I was a very proficient hacker, had always been, though it had still been long since I had last hacked S.H.I.E.L.D., on one hand because I worked for it, technically had access to near anything I might need legally; on the other because most of the firewalls and protections it had were based on ones I'd created myself (the kind of programming that made my own tablet and personal laptop impossible to hack, even by the best hackers I knew: Tony and Skye). _

_I was completely focused on my work when the ring of my phone interrupted me. The fact that it was a rather generic tone and not the variety of songs I'd carefully assigned to each member of my extended family (my real family, as far as I'm concerned for my birth one… it's one thing I'd rather not think about, ever). Still, I continued typing as fast as I could with one hand, while using the other to accept the call and press the StarkPhone (Tony had insisted) to my ear. _

"_Darcy Lewis speaking, how might I help you?" I asked formally. _

_It was not my most formal answer to a phone call; no, that one had me using my rank and Agent number rather than any name; at the same time, it was one I only used when being called by someone in or connected to the World Security Council (which, regretfully, did happen, such was the price I paid for being Phil's right hand… thankfully it didn't happen too often, as I really couldn't stand 90% of the people in that organization). _

"_You might help me by explaining why exactly our guests of honor missed Samhain this year." A strong, somewhat cold, feminine voice demanded from the other end of the line. _

"_Excuse me…" For a couple of seconds I had no idea what she was talking about. _

"_Samhain? The Harvest Festival? The Dark Half of the Year?" She enlisted in a growing harsher voice, she sounded very annoyed. "Loki was supposed to be here, along with Nightingale and the Fire-Rose… they've never missed a festival… not since we first invited them…" _

"_Ah…" Finally my mind focused enough to have an idea of who might be calling. "Cassandra?" _

"_Faye." She corrected me half-absently. "Faye Chamberlaine. Cassie is currently bent over the biggest world-map any of us own, scrying for them. However, and since we all know Loki to be a man of his word, it's quite obvious he wouldn't have missed the festival without a very good reason… and Cassie would have found him already if it were in our power to do it, so it isn't." _

"_You seem to have pretty much worked out the answers to any questions on your own." I commented flippantly as I finally stopped typing. "Why call me then?" _

"_Where are they?" She finally stated the true question. _

"_Not in this world." I knew better than to try and lie to someone like she. _

_Someone like she… Faye Chamberlaine, known in some circles as the Huntress… she was one of the members of the triumvirate heading the magical group known as the Secret Circle; a dozen of witches and warlocks descended from the oldest magical families to walk the Earth, the only such coven in existence in America. The other two members were Faye's lifemate: Diana Meade, the Priestess; and Cassandra Blake-Conant, the Muse. _

_The SC were the only people outside of the Family that truly knew Loki (even more than Xavier); and while they worshiped Hecate as goddess of magic, they respected his power greatly. It was why the Family had a standing invitation for all the Festivals the coven celebrated in New Salem. They two groups might have met by chance (and a high level of curiosity on Loki's part after he and Nightingale had been vacationing in Massachusetts only to sense true magic), but they had grown to truly care for one another. _

_It had all begun when they were taking a vacation. Loki was surprised when sensing actual magic on Earth; Silbhé worked out a theory of some of the 'witches' of old having had some kind of true power… it was a theory that had held, until Loki insisted that they follow some of the traces he could sense, just to see where it took them. Then they found a small town, almost an island, called 'New Salem' and suddenly everything had changed. _

_I had only gone to New Salem once, met with Cassandra; who was said to be, in the triumvirate, the one most willing to deal with Outsiders. And while S.H.I.E.L.D. had no deal with the Circle (no one outside from us knew for sure they existed), they trusted at least us Family. In any case, I'd never met anyone else from the Circle, but I knew enough… _

_I heard some rustling from the other side of the line and suddenly I could hear more voices. _

"_Miss Lewis?" A much, much softer voice called. "This is Diana Meade… We have you on speaker. We need to know. How long has Loki been missing, and who else is missing?" _

"_He's not the only one." I admitted quietly. "The short version of it is that there was an alien invasion. We won. However, Thor was forced into using the higher level of his power and that called Asgard's attention. He, Loki and Nightingale have all been taken to the so-called: Realm Eternal…" I sighed. "As for how long… this happened almost five months ago." _

"_Five months…" Several voices repeated in obvious shock. "Spirits!" _

"_You mean phase one of the plan has already been implemented…" I made out Cassie's voice as she spoke up. "Why weren't we informed of this? You know we would be willing to help in this matter, protect the children…" _

"_I… we know." I nodded, even knowing no one could see me. "For the time being Jane and the children remain in Sanctuary. The time to implement phase two of the plan will come soon… however we haven't made any decisions on that part yet. We won't until we know for sure there is no other choice" Some of us still wanted to hope against hope that they were coming back soon. "We're thankful for your offer Cassandra, all of you. However, the last thing we want is to put any of you in danger. If you were to harbor Jane and the kids Asgard could very well come after you… you've told us what happened when the Hunters went after you, and they were human… the last thing we want is for immortal hunters, pseudo-gods, to do the same…" _

"_That's a risk we're willing to take." A male voice, I thought it might be Cassie's husband: Adam Conant, spoke. "Those children are worth it." _

"_He's right." Diana and Cassie called at once. _

"_I understand we're not the only ones who've made such offers." Diana added. "And I'm sure you and Dr. Foster will choose whoever is better able to guarantee the well-being of the children if worse comes to worst. Just know that our offer stands." _

"_I will remember." I promised her. _

Yes, I did remember; but I'd also seen the power Asgardians possessed, and wasn't sure if even the coven as a whole would be enough to stop them. And even if they could, it just didn't feel right to pull them into a conflict they had no need to be involved in… Mutants might not have the same kind of power, but since the alliance between the two sides their numbers had become a serious matter. It might mean an advantage if they were ever to be found. And they were more involved in matters connected to S.H.I.E.L.D. and such already. Of course, there was always the option of leaving the country altogether too… even as I thought that I prayed that a solution might come up before the time came to make that choice.

"Boss-lady, it's ready!" A young voice called loudly as she entered my office.

It was Skye, the twenty-seven year old hacker, former-Rising-Tide member and Level 8 Special Agent; she was also Ward's partner (on and off the field), in fact she only had a clearance level that high because Grant had insisted on it (and because we all knew she would be reading all files whether she had the clearance for them or not). We got along great, had since we met (well, right after I stopped being so angry over the fact that something she'd done had put my Phil in danger); she and I were very much alike in fact. Both Phil and Ward had face-palmed more than once at something either or both of us had done.

"The program is finished then?" I inquired as I turned to her.

"It only needs to be uploaded." She announced as she handed me a pen-drive.

"I will do that." I told her. "Thank you Skye."

"Boss-lady…?" She seemed to be unsure if she should ask the question in her mind.

"I'm very grateful that you did this Skye, truly." I told her with all the quiet authority I could muster. "But you must not get yourself involve in this matter anymore than you already have."

"If that program is activated…" She began…

I knew what it did, I'd commissioned her to do it as I knew she had previous experience with it, with erasing everything about a person; she'd done for herself, after all.

"If things get any worse it just might be necessary." I told her seriously. "Fury might be on our side right now, he might even stay like that; but we all know how fickle governments can be, and the WSC specially… if Asgard threatens to take measures against us unless we give them Jane and the children… we both know what'll happen."

"Unless the government has nothing to give them." Skye finished my idea. "If Jane Foster and the kids no longer exist…"

"Exactly." She understood, that was good.

"They will know we did it." She commented with a sigh.

"Not we, I." I corrected her softly. "It's why I'll be the one to upload the program into the system. If it is found I will be the one to take the blame."

"But…" She seemed horrified at the idea.

"Do not worry about me Skye." I told her with a small smile. "I've known what the chances are for years… I promise you, I know what I'm doing."

She nodded once, slowly, before she left. The moment she was out I could only sigh… if only I believed my own words…

**xXx Hel's POV xXx **

I woke up with a gasp that morning, hands extended, trying to grasp something even when my conscious mind knew it wasn't there. It still took me a few seconds to fully process I'd been dreaming, and why exactly I wasn't waking up in the usual grey and somewhat dreary sleeping quarters I had in Helheim… Only I wasn't in Helheim, I was in Midgard, in a bedroom in Salani mansion, my bedroom… It was so strange. Father had told me years before, during one of our psychic meetings (for he couldn't truly visit) that his match, my mom… that she had re-decorated one of the bedrooms in their home and marked it as mine. Even though I didn't live in the same realm and there was very little chance that I'd ever be able to visit them, much less spend the night. Still, she had insisted; said that I was her daughter, and as such I should have a bedroom in their home. And that's exactly where I was in that moment, where I'd been sleeping for almost three months, since I felt the imbalance in Yggdrasil, which allowed me to leave the realm I was ruler of and travel to a world of the living.

The room was smaller than my quarters in Helheim's palace, but much more homey. It was painted in light colors, with a huge window with its own comfy window-seat, thick off-white carpet covering the floor. One of the walls had bookshelves from floor to ceiling, filled to the brim with books, mostly fantasy and romance. There was a closet, a vanity with a half-body mirror over it, a nightstand on each side of the bed. The bed was a four-poster Queen-sized bed with sheets in various shades of blue and purple. The room also had its own bathroom, off-white tiles, and a one-person tub. Dad told me it used to be mom's room until her own father moved to Europe definitely and the two of them moved to the Master Bedroom, which was a bit bigger, with a two-person bathroom, a bigger closet and connected to a small office-like room which they had used as nursery for Rose's first two years or so.

It felt nice, waking up in such a beautiful room, knowing it was mine; my bedroom, my home… now if only I had my parents there… and that line of thought reminded me of the nightmare I'd had: I didn't remember what it was, only that it felt like I was trying to reach someone yet couldn't, and something was coming, something huge, dark, bad…

"Sissy…?" A soft, sweet voice called shyly from the bedroom door. "Are you awake?"

"Rosie?" I asked, immediately sitting up completely. "Is everything alright?"

"I had a bad dream…" She said, the sentence breaking off in a hiccup.

I patted the spot on the bed right beside me, which was enough to prompt Rose to rush across the room and onto the bed, burrowing under the covers until she was pretty much curled up on my lap. I could only smile. Never, in all my decades of life, had I ever imagined anyone, much less a child, curling up to me like that, with such trust, such love… Rose had actually seen my true image, once; and where I feared she would scream and run away she'd instead run to me, tears had fallen from her eyes, and she'd asked me if it hurt… she was crying because she thought I was hurt… she was truly the most precious creature I'd ever known.

"Wanna tell me what your dream was about?" I asked as I combed her hair with my fingers in what I knew to be soothing motions.

"It's a bad dream…" She reminded me quietly.

"It's okay." I assured her. "I promise to help you fight off the monsters if they come."

I intended for it to be a joke, instead I felt her shiver against me, burrowing her face into my nightgown, even as a low cry escaped her.

"Rosie…?" I called, growing truly worried.

"The monsters aren't coming here…" She explained in a voice so low I could barely hear her. "They're going after mommy, daddy and uncle Thor…"

I actually froze at that. I could remember the darkness from my dream…

"The monsters are going…Helie…" She insisted, sobbing. "I don't want mommy, daddy and uncle Thor to get hurt…"

"They aren't going to get hurt." I assured her, embracing her tightly against my chest. "Mama, Papa and Uncle Thor are all very strong, they will defeat the monsters. I promise."

"They will defeat the monsters, and then they will come back?" She asked me.

My heart almost broke at that. Poor thing, having to spend almost six months without her parents, not even being able to leave the house… it was a wonder we hadn't all gone stir-crazy already, I knew Jane was especially anxious (which wasn't good, less of all with her baby). Still, it was even worse for Rose, she was only nine, and none of her parents could be there for her. And while she understood and accepted that I was her sister, and I knew she loved me, she'd never met me before the imbalance. She was still a child in need of her mom and dad… in a sense I thought I needed them too.

In the end I didn't answer her question; I couldn't give her the answer she wanted to hear, and I wouldn't lie to her. So instead I just held her, praying that whatever darkness, whatever monsters were going to Asgard, that our family would be alright…

About an hour later or so I decided I just wouldn't be getting any more sleep so I got out of the bed, got changed (I used magic to resize some of mom's old clothes) and then went down to the kitchen. I had just finished warming up the milk when Jane stumbled still-half asleep into the kitchen. Her pregnancy was much more evident by that point, especially in the thin light blue nightgown she was wearing in that moment. It was a good thing that the mansion had a heating system; while it was barely the first week of December, already the weather was cold enough to require at least two (mostly three) layers of clothing just to step outside. I had a somewhat unfair advantage, being half Jotun, while Rose's fire affinity helped her keep her body temperature high enough, Svein could stop the wind from touching him directly, but he had no way of changing the temperature; however, David and Jane had no such protection from the elements.

Still in silence I filled two mugs with the hot milk before adding the powdered cocoa. It was a little vice I knew mom had gotten dad into, and he'd gotten me into; he'd actually taken several cans of it to Helheim for me years before. The chocolate tasted a bit different with cow milk (the one mom had) than it did with the milk we had in Helheim, but still it was wonderful (actually, I thought the chocolate in Midgard tasted sweeter, better). Aunt Jane, while she was pretty much a caffeine addict, had insisted on having none at all until Astrid was born. She claimed that coffee wasn't something that doctors usually took away from pregnant women, but she wanted to be on the safe side; it had taken her so long to get her wish of a baby girl, she wouldn't be doing anything that might put her at risk. I had gone myself to the drugstore (or a drugstore, in another state, in fact) to get the prenatal pills. Jane couldn't go to any doctor, not with Asgard actively looking for her, and the risk that the government might turn her in if they found her; but having been pregnant twice before, she had a good idea of what to do, and what not to. I was still afraid of what exactly we were supposed to do if things didn't change by the time she had to give birth… then I remembered Rose's dream, and my own, and I suddenly had the certainty that it wouldn't come to that…

"Hela…?" Jane called, concern evident in her voice.

I opened my mouth to assure her everything was alright when I suddenly felt it; a flash of power. I'd been feeling magical ripples repeatedly in the last six months, which I knew were caused by repeated use of the Tesseract, it was how the Asgardian warriors were getting themselves between the two realms over and over again as they kept trying to find Jane and the children. However in that moment it was different, darker… The same kind of darkness that had made dad refuse to use the Shadow Paths for the last decade…

"Hela!" Jane called, louder.

"It's happening." I said quietly.

"Happening?" She repeated confused and worried. "What is?"

"The balance has tipped." I stated before turning to stare straight at her. "I told you when I first came here that something was going to happen at some point…"

"Something huge…" She nodded, remembering. "You mean…"

"It's happening, right now." I finished grimly.

I didn't tell her about Rose's and my dream, didn't want to worry her more than she already was, it would do no good in her condition. Also, it's not like she would be able to change anything.

She didn't answer verbally, just extending a hand over the kitchen counter to take hold of my hand. I grasped her hand in mine in what I hoped was a comforting gesture. There was nothing we could do to help the members of our family in Asgard in that moment, all we could do was sit there, wait and pray…

* * *

Hope you liked it, and you didn't get dizzy with the changing POVs. This is never happening again! I nearly went crazy while writing it, honestly. Too many different ways of looking at things... Though I will admit I liked writing Darcy's POV, and Hel's, each for different reasons.

Oh... and what did you think about Kathryn, Fury and their shared past? That I really want to know, because they're ideas that have been in my head for months and I'd never gotten the chance to write them before!

Oh, and to remind you next chapter, the last one for this AU is coming next week.

See ya then!


	5. Family P2

So we are all on the same page, some comments/warning, regarding my shifting in POVs:

* Unless I say differently, at the beginning of every chapter you are to assume it is Nightingale speaking (at the very least the introductory line will always be hers.

* If the scene-break doesn't mark a change in POVs, it's not changing, it means the next scene is still narrated by the same person (or no one, when it's in 3rd).

* * *

**Family (Part 2) **

Regardless of the time and the distance, in the end we would always be Family…

I was sitting cross-legged with my eyes closed in the middle of a circle formed by an assortment of objects of different shapes and sizes, hands open, palms up, over my knees. After taking a deep breath I focused and called on my magic, then began raising my hands slowly. I could feel the magic take hold, as the objects around me slowly rose as well, until they were floating around me. I took several seconds to steady myself before I began moving my arms, tracing increasingly complex patterns in the air, making the objects twist and turn all around me. It was a difficult exercise, part of my magical training. Much more complex than the things I'd been doing in the almost ten years since I'd discovered I could call on Loki's magic.

The next part of the exercise consisted on making myself float, just up, nothing too complicated; the hard part was that I had to do that, while keeping the objects floating around me, moving in the same patterns as before. However, before I could get to that part a loud metallic sound echoed all around, breaking my concentration.

I ignored the sound of the objects around me all falling to the ground; it wasn't the first time it happened, so it no longer affected me. Immediately I saw Loki's hand in front of me and I took it, not even paying attention as he pulled me to my feet. We could both hear the loud stomp of boots of individuals approaching… guards…

"Again…?" I asked rhetorically.

"It would seem so." Loki nodded.

We were in a cell. The very last cell in the Asgardian prisons. Except the Pit, though that was a whole other thing; some of the Councilmen actually wanted to throw us there when we first arrived but Thor protested, loudly and vehemently, and Queen Frigg supported him, so in the end we were sent to a normal cell. Thor, of course, wasn't inside it with us; though in the end it made little difference, as he stayed just outside it. Most of the time he would sit beside one of the transparent 'walls' of it. He only left to get cleaned up and changed every so often, and get meals at least once a day.

Loki and I were 'escorted' out of our cell every two weeks, without fail, and lead to the Council Room, where Odin, Frigg and the Council would be waiting for us. There they would demand to know Jane's and the children's whereabouts, to reveal how to find them, we would refuse; there would be hateful words thrown around, yelling, threatening, and we would still refuse; then we would be sent back to our cell, only to do everything all over again two weeks later. It was becoming increasingly boring. Really, did the bastards expect us to betray family? To surrender our own children to them? They were insane and stupid.

None of us were wearing Earth clothes any longer. Thor was in his usual Asgardian attire; Loki was in his own clothes too: black leather pants, forest-green button up shirt and boots (much more casual than what he would usually wear, but still him); while I wore a set of clothes Queen Frigg had had made for me: it was a soft lilac tunic that reached almost to my knees with a square neck, long loose sleeves and a sash tied around my waist, with it I wore white leggings and white flats with a lilac line on the base. Very beautiful all things said. My hair was also beginning to grow from the chin-length cut I'd gotten shortly before the mess had begun; and I had only ever gotten it cut that short because Thor cut a good deal of it during a training accident (he and Loki were teaching me to throw, and evade, knives); I wasn't hurt, but I ended up needing to cut my hair more than I ever wanted to. At least after all those months it was finally reaching my shoulders and recovering its curls.

In any case, the guards were there once again, to escort us to the newest session of our 'trial' (should it even be called that when we were being punished already and in the almost six months that had passed we hadn't even once been given a chance to present any defense whatsoever?). Thor took the shackles and chains from the guards and was the one to enter our cell when the energy field was deactivated. The rest of the guards were too afraid to get anywhere near Loki or I, they'd all heard what we'd done with Sif and the Warriors Three, and some of them had seen me training more than once during their rounds (not like we had much to do in those months other than talk, read and train…). I wondered how much worse it would be if they knew that we were only in that cell because we wanted to be, or at least did not care enough to get out, because we certainly could, at any moment; a lot of people seemed to have forgotten just how powerful Loki was… or maybe they just had never known.

Thor directed an apologetic look at us as he secured the shackles around our wrists and ankles; Loki and I just waved it off, it's not like it was the first time, or his fault…

Once secured, Thor stepped out of the cell, holding our chains. The guards surrounded us and lead us out of the prisons and to the main side of the palace. The first time it had been a couple of guards who had actually held the chains, but they had been cold and vindictive, pulling on the chains, making us stumble and almost fall more than once. Loki had nearly killed the guard, except Thor had reprimanded him loudly first; then he'd taken the chains, leading us himself. The guards hadn't tried to change that.

I shivered the moment we stepped into the main part of the palace.

"Nightingale?" Loki asked, noticing my sudden discomfort.

"Anyone else get the feeling that something is wrong?" I asked out-loud.

"Not really." Thor admitted with a shrug.

"I do." Loki said in turn. "It's strange. Almost like… like the magic itself is uneasy… Something is going to happen. Something big… and bad."

Yes, that pretty much fit what I'd been feeling. I just hoped it wouldn't be too bad that we wouldn't be able to handle it. It was bad enough that I hadn't been able to see my daughter for the last six months… there was no way I was dying without seeing her again!

That session began pretty much like the previous twelve: the Council made demands, we refused to answer, they insisted, we still refused, they insulted us, we ignored them, they began yelling and… suddenly I was shivering violently.

"Nightingale…?" Loki and Thor called at the same time.

"They're here…" I gasped.

No one got the chance to ask who exactly was supposed to be there, for a moment later there was a loud explosion as part of the closest balcony blew up, with it the glass door that lead to it.

The councilors were screaming right as the first enemy landed on the destroyed balcony, shooting an attack at the closest of them.

"What…?" Even Odin seemed surprised by the whole thing.

"Chitauri…" The brothers hissed at the same time.

In a smooth motion Thor began twirling Mjolnir in his hand, calling on thunder to fry the alien. However, he was just the first of many.

Loki eyed the shackles around his wrists in distaste, they were meant not only for physical restraining, but also magical. With a roll of his eyes Loki shifted into Jotun form, knowing that was a kind of power the magic in the shackles wouldn't be able to contain, then began shooting ice daggers at whatever chitauri Thor didn't take down with his thunder. It's not like anyone was surprised, some vindictive councilman had made sure to make Loki's true heritage known years before; in the end neither of us cared.

The councilmen weren't being helpful at all; the opposite in fact, with them screaming and running around like a bunch of headless chicken. Most of the guards in the room, including those who had escorted us into the room, were more focused on protecting them than on helping with the battle; and either the so-called 'Lady Sif and the Warriors Three' had grown rusty in Thor's absence or they just had never been than great, for it took them much longer for any of them to take down the chitauri than it did my match and brother.

Still, things seemed to be going well enough for the first few minute. There were a considerable number of chitauri, and after breaking two other windows, the Warriors had had to split to better cover the area. Still, not too many could move inside at the same time; those outside were being kept mostly under control by the Army, and I could sense that there weren't too many in the end. Then, before I could relax, I felt something was wrong:

I found the problem right away: Fandral was laying on the ground, near a column, knocked out; Hogun was holding his side, where he'd apparently been badly hurt, Sif was trying to protect the unconscious Fandral while at the same time keep up with the fight, and Volstagg could barely handle his own opponent. Thor and Loki were busy enough with their own, keeping the chitauri from overpowering them all. And in the mess no one noticed when one chitauri managed to slip past them all and went to attack the Queen.

Queen Frigg was standing beside a column, nervously observing everything. According to the mythology she knew how to fight, but she had no weapon, no armor in that moment, and thus there was little she could do. Odin himself stood right in front of his own throne, doing nothing but watch the battle going on before him.

I didn't stop to think about how insane what I was about to do was (though I knew, without a doubt, it was definitely insane), instead I just did it: I focused my magic and then jumped straight out of the chains holding me, and to the Queen.

"Algiz!" I cried out, throwing my hands up, the moment I felt ground beneath my feet again.

Queen Frigg turned right as the chitauri crashed into the shield I'd barely managed to get up in time and make strong enough to resist the attack. Still, it had been so abrupt it didn't last long. Then I focused hard, calling to me the closest blade I found (a short knife some guard was carrying) and directed it at the chitauri, stabbing him straight through the neck right as he was about to attack me.

"Nightingale!" Loki called in shock.

He'd probably sensed my anxiety and the healthy level of fear and adrenaline that rushed through me as I acted.

"I'm alright!" I answered promptly.

For all answer I could sense his mix of pride and exasperation through our bond. A second later he calmly stepped out of his own chains, turning back into Aesir and moving into the fight against the chitauri with a wider array of moves and spells.

"Please stay safe, Your Majesty." I told the queen as I prepared myself mentally for the fight.

"Shouldn't you stay back too, child?" She asked me with concern.

I was moved by her worry, the woman hardly knew me at all; however I had made my choice.

"I've trained for this, my lady." I told her with respect but without showing any hesitation. "I may not seem like much, but I can fight. And I promised long ago I would always stand by my match… no matter what."

With that I focused on the magic running through my veins and then jumped straight into the battle. I didn't let myself think about anything but the fight, calling on shields, concussive waves, and teleporting as was needed. I tried not to overdo it (the last thing I needed was to collapse in the middle of the battlefield) but still refused to back down.

After a relatively short time (at least compared to the battle in the helicarrier) the fight ended. I took deep breaths as I walked to Loki, who was standing beside Thor, near the center of the room. We turned to look around us, the several dozens of fallen chitauri, the warriors, the councilmen… those still alive were looking at us with a mix of surprise and… fear?

"I cannot believe it…" I muttered in Gaelic under my breath. "We just saved their lives, and still they won't see us as anything but enemies!"

"To be fair, they also just discovered their 'security measures' are for naught." Thor pointed out with a mischievous smile.

Loki just shrugged, and I realized he hadn't expected anything else. It is likely that if it hadn't been for his brother and mother he wouldn't even have bothered to help… it was sad, but no less true. It made me wonder if there was any hope for our troubles to be resolved peacefully, or if we would have to flee in the end… (because there was just no way I was spending the rest of my life confined to a cell in the basement of Asgard's palace…)

**xXx**

Two days later I was almost a foot off the ground, the objects were around me, though moving slowly and mostly erratically as I was still getting the hang of the whole thing (and my balance seemed to be shot whenever I couldn't feel anything pointing me to where I was exactly).

*You're doing good, my Nightingale…* Loki whispered supportively into my mind.

In that moment his voice in my mind was soothing, less distracting than any other noise would have been. Which is why it was no surprise why the moment a loud rush of booted feet began echoing through the prison I lost all concentration and went down. Loki reacted instantly, jumping to my side and catching me in his arms before I could hit the floor, we both ignored the sounds of all the other objects landing haphazardly around us.

"What is going on?" I asked in confusion.

"I don't know." Loki admitted. "It's much too soon for another 'trial'."

It was, indeed, only two days had passed since the fight in the council room. Though one could also argue that we hadn't finished the trial session that day, as the fight interrupted it (not that it would have ended any differently than the previous twelve ones…). There was also the matter of Thor… he'd been called the day before by the Allfather himself and we hadn't seen him since; which was odd considering he'd refused to leave our side more than was absolutely necessary since our imprisonment.

Another surprise was to see just who was leading the guards in that moment: Fandral and Sif, the ones who'd been the least hurt during the fight against the chitauri.

"The Allfather wishes for your presence." Fandral announced stoically.

Loki snorted at the choice of words, it's not like we could refuse, exactly; for all intents and purposes we were prisoners.

"No chains?" Loki inquired abruptly, brows raised.

It was only then that I noticed it was true, no one was holding the sets of shackles and chains they usually used on us.

"Would they serve any purpose other than amuse you?" Sif drawled.

"It might put all of you more at ease." I commented with the same tone.

Really, I would need to be blind and stupid not to notice how tense all of them were; as if waiting for us to kill them all…

"Not when we already know they are no good." Sif retorted.

Loki and I just shrugged. If they had no interest in chaining us we weren't going to insist. While it was true the chains would never be enough to stop us if we didn't wish to stay, they were still more than a bit uncomfortable.

Without a word more Loki and I stepped in between the guards, Fandral walking in front of us, Sif behind. None of the guards said a single word, most wouldn't even look at us. They truly were afraid of us… did they believe us so fickle? That we would save them from an enemy one day only to kill them the next? Well, some Asgardians did seem to be that fickle… Or was it Loki? Did they really fear him that much? Was it due to the revelation of his Jotun heritage or something entirely different? Just what kind of lies were the Aesir telling about my beloved?!

My match, sensing my growing unease, sent his love to me through our bonds, enough to help me relax at least a bit. And just in time, as we reached a set of doors.

"This isn't the Council Room…" I couldn't help but blurt out in surprise.

"No, it isn't." Fandral stated with cold detachment.

"This is the War Room…" Loki informed me quietly.

Which meant that we definitely weren't there to continue with the sorry sham they insisted on calling a trial? What then?

In the room were Odin, Frigg, Thor, Heimdall, the remaining members of the Warriors Three, as well as an assortment of other men, Warriors all (and a couple of councilors). It hit me then, the significance of the room's name, and the people meeting there: it was a strategy meeting. The Aesir had finally reached the conclusion Loki and I'd had since the moment the previous battle ended, it wouldn't be the last one; they were meeting to decide what would be done. The part I didn't understand was why exactly we'd been called in…

"Brother! Sister!" Thor greeted us loudly. "It's good to have you here."

"Right…" I truly did not know what to say right then.

"Why exactly are we here, brother?" Loki inquired in a blank tone.

"Thor has made us aware of the confrontation you and your human allies had with the chitauri in Midgard, before you were brought here." Odin announced in a formal voice. "He believes that your input would be helpful as we decide how to handle this matter."

"Brother." Thor ignored his father's formality as he addressed us. "You know who we're going against, what we're going against…"

"Thanos…" Loki stated coldly.

"The Mad Titan…" I finished for him, a shiver running down my spine.

"Impossible!" One of the councilors screeched. "Thanos is a myth!"

I rolled my eyes, really? They were facing the worst enemy ever and they were going to deny he existed simply because it wasn't convenient?

"If my brother says Thanos is the one behind the chitauri, he knows what he's talking about." Thor snapped at the councilor.

"Thanos does exist." Frigg revealed when her husband chose to keep his silence. "Though most of us have believed him to be lost for at least two millennia…"

No one else could deny Loki's words after that.

"How could such a creature exist and we not know?" Sif asked in shock.

"The Abyss is beyond even my sight." Heimdall revealed.

"I knew he was there." Loki announced in a very blasé tone. "I've known for many years. Of course, when I tried to bring it to someone's attention I was accused of lying… so what was the point? No one ever believes me anyway."

He was just stating a fact, but I could still see Thor wince.

"How could you know he was there, when no one else did?" Hogun inquired, curious.

"Because I know the Shadow Paths." Loki stated simply. "I travel them."

"Aren't the Shadow Paths supposed to be part of the Abyss?" Fandral asked, confused. "Not to mention forbidden…"

"The forbidden part is a matter of perspective, and it's not like I've ever let something like mere rules stop me…" Loki said dismissively. "As for them being part of the abyss, technically, yes, but they're also more. The Abyss is space, emptiness, mostly that off Yggdrassil, though some call that also to the space in between each realm. However, there is a difference. The space in between realms is also what connects them; it's where the Bifrost extends when one travels to other worlds. The very edge of that space, the point where that emptiness begins to overlap with the actual realm, is what's known as the Shadow Plane; neither Light nor Dark, but a bit of both. The Shadow Paths connect every single realm; however, it also touches the Abyss, which is why it's so dangerous."

"Yet you use them." Fandral snorted.

"I know what I'm doing." Loki retorted. "Not anyone can use them, true; but that's because it requires a considerable level of magic, as well as a very good grasp of it, to be able to enter them; a substantial power not to get pulled by the Abyss and, finally, a great knowledge of Yggdrasil and the Paths themselves not to get lost in them. For someone like me the Paths are perfectly safe. Besides, they are no danger to the realms themselves, as the existence of the Shadow Plane itself is completely natural; and it even calls less attention than the activation of the Bifrost…" His voice turned monotone as he added. "The use of other devices, like the Tesseract…"

"What's wrong with the use of the Tesseract?" Several voices demanded at once.

"You cannot tell me you haven't realized it…" My match might have face-palmed if it hadn't been so against the image he was projecting. "The Tesseract, unlike the Rainbow Bridge and the Shadow Paths, connects two realms by punching straight through their barriers, as well as the Abyss itself. It's a portal, almost a chaos portal, though with a hint of control. Your continued use of it over the last six months is what allowed the chitauri into Asgard; especially if, as I imagine, Heimdall was unable to see them coming. The Tesseract weakened the barriers separating the realms, made them weak enough for the chitauri to get through." He shook his head. "All things considered, it might even be fortunate that they chose to come here instead of going to Midgard. Which was a possibility with the trace the Tesseract has left behind…"

"You mean that the chitauri could have attacked Midgard instead?" Thor asked in shock.

"Yes." Loki nodded grimly. "But now that they've been here, they will know the Tesseract is here. There will be another attack, and you can expect Thanos to be there next time. The Titan wants the Cube too much to give up."

"It will be a hard battle." I announced. "However, it's one I would rather be fought here instead of in Midgard, with so many innocents."

"True, but you have to admit the support might have been better there." My love just couldn't help the backhanded insult against the Asgardian Warriors.

"Hey!" Fandral and Volstagg cried out in outrage.

"He's being truthful." I stated. "The Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. fought two battles against the chitauri, in greater numbers than the ones that attacked here, less than an hour before Thor, Loki and I were brought here, and they showed a lot more battle prowess than what I saw from all of you but my match and brother the day before yesterday."

"As if you're one to talk." Fandral snorted.

"Let me point out that I fought in that battle, 'Warrior'." I hissed back at him. "Long after you collapsed against the wall like a child."

The second part of the sentence might have been unnecessary, and not quite true (really, my child would have never done that…) but I was just angry at his dismissive tone. Many people had underestimated me in my life, for my gender, my height, my looks… and while normally I would just ignore it, or even use it on my advantage, in that moment the situation was too serious to allow something like that to stand. Fandral needed to begin to understand I wasn't the kind of woman he could just insult and have there be no consequences; they all needed to learn that fact if we were to survive what was to come.

"I may not have been born a Valkyrie." I went on, looking pointedly at Sif. "But I can fight. I have trained to be able to protect myself and others for almost a decade…"

"Why?" A councilman I did not recognize, except for the fact that he was one of the few to have never insulted me or mine, inquired with honest confusion.

"In Midgard I am a rich woman, of a well-known family, high-ranking civilian consultant for one of the world's elite organizations, niece to one of the best Agents in history; knowledgeable in a combination of topics and languages that makes me important for very specific people; wife to Luka Hveðrungr, a millionaire and scholar, who is also a god and a Jotun: Loki; mother to a gifted child; I am also connected to a variety of other groups with great power and influence." I enlisted calmly but with pride. "For one or more of those reasons I have enemies, probably more than I will ever know. For the most part the place where I live and where I work has kept me somewhat safe. But I've always known the day might come when I would face a life-or-death situation. And I knew I had to be ready, not just for me, but for those I love. Everyone I know may have incredible abilities and training, but that doesn't mean I will just stand back and cower when the danger comes, I rather stand and fight."

"And if you die?" He insisted.

"Then I die." I didn't hesitate. "It's as simple as that. There was a time in my life when I didn't believe I would live to see my fifteenth birthday… I was as good as dead at twenty, when I gave birth to my daughter. And yet I'm still here, still alive. I consider it a miracle, and each day I get, I'm thankful for. However, I won't stop living out of fear of dying; then it wouldn't be life anymore and having survived all those other things would be pointless."

The councilman was left speechless.

"Going back to the matter at hand." Loki declared, while wordlessly sending his love through our bond. "Whether you choose to believe me or not, fact is the chitauri will be coming again, and it is likely Thanos will be at the front of the army the next time. You can use the information however you wish to."

"And what will you do?" Another councilman (one we did not like) demanded.

"What should I do?" Loki retorted. "I am nothing more than a prisoner!"

"Not anymore." Odin announced.

The statement surprised us both enough neither knew what to say.

"It is obvious you will never betray your families." Queen Frigg said softly. "Neither should you. Protecting loved ones has never been a crime, and you shouldn't be imprisoned for it."

I didn't know if it was just me, but that sure had sounded like a reprimand…

"Yes, of course." Odin nodded to her before turning back to us, to everyone in fact, as he made the announcement. "Regarding other events that took place a decade ago. The matter has been declared as closed; the time you have spent already in prison has been declared as punishment enough, as well as the years you had to give up your immortality. Which you will be given a chance to regain, depending on the battle to come…"

"What about Jane, and the children?" Thor demanded immediately

By the tone and vehemence of his question it was obvious to both Loki and I that not even he had known about any of that.

"It is my understanding that your Jane is a woman of science, and could very well be capable of helping if the restoration of the Rainbow Bridge." Frigg announced. "If she's capable of that, she will earn her immortality. Your children will follow you."

"Then it will not be a problem." I pointed out. "Jane has had the knowledge to create a stable connection between the two worlds for years."

It was true, while the project hadn't continued after the mess with the Foster Window, Jane had continued the theoretical side of her research. Enough that we were all fairly confident that, if she got the materials (and a safe and stable energy source, like the arc reactor) it would be relatively easy for her to create an Einstein-Rosen Bridge between Midgard and Asgard. Not sure how well that would translate with other realms, but it was a good beginning. And apparently enough for Jane to earn her immortality.

"Now take your seats." Odin signaled to the two empty places around the table. "We have a battle to plan for."

In the end the War Council lasted almost a whole day. On the positive side, once it was over Thor escorted us to Loki's chambers. The blonde was about to leave us when suddenly I had an idea and pulled him inside, closing and sealing the door behind him.

"Loki…" I said turning back to my match. "Could we activate the mirrors here?"

He knew what I meant. It was actually part of the plan. Based on the legendary magical mirror Queen Frigg was said to possess. Except that the one we'd created worked by creating exclusively two mirrors; one was already predisposed: the one in Jane's and Thor's bedroom in Salani mansion; the other was whichever Loki or I used when we activated the spell.

"These rooms are completely sealed." Loki nodded. "With spells similar to the one protecting Sanctuary. Even if, by some chance, either Heimdall or the Allfather find out that we're communicating with our family, they won't be able to trace the link."

"Does that mean I can talk to Jane? And my sons?" Thor asked hopefully.

"And our daughter." I nodded with the same expectation.

With that Loki marched straight to the full-body mirror that hung beside his closet. He'd used a quick spell the moment we'd entered his chambers, to render everything dust-free, so that was not a problem. With a wave of his hand he summoned from a subspace pocket what looked almost like a small sticker. He stuck it to a corner of the mirror, pressed his open palm to it and muttered a spell in the Ancient language under his breath. It was as if the surface of the mirror was made of water and it rippled. Seconds later the image changed, from showing us it instead showed Jane in her (and Thor's) favorite sky blue nightgown, she was slowly brushing her wavy chestnut hair over a shoulder.

"Jane!" Thor cried out in absolute delight.

Jane reacted instantly at her name being called, she turned her head up, looking straight at us through the mirror, then she shrieked.

"Jane!" Thor obviously wasn't expecting that. "My love! It's alright, I promise you…"

The blonde's rant was cut off as we all saw suddenly a figure materialize in the room, right behind Jane, moving to hold her right as the brunette tripped over the stool where she'd been sitting while brushing her hair.

"Aunt Jane!" Hel cried out in confusion and worry as she held her. "Are you alright?"

"Hel?!" Loki and I couldn't help but yell her name in shock.

We had never imagined seeing her on Midgard, in our home, especially with us not there.

"Mama! Papa!" Hel's eyes widened in obvious surprise. "Is it really you?"

I just nodded, not having words to express what I was feeling in that moment. Hel, my oldest daughter, who I'd only been able to touch once, when I'd been dying right after giving birth to my youngest, was in that moment in my home, in our home… and I couldn't be there. It frustrated me greatly; though, at the same time, it gave me hope that once the mess with the chitauri and Thanos was over we would get our chance.

"The imbalance…" Loki muttered in realization.

It took me a handful of seconds, but I realized that the same imbalance that was allowing the chitauri to slip into Asgard without being noticed by Heimdall, had allowed Hel to leave Helheim without the Allfather's approval and get into Midgard, to the rest of our family. It made me happy that even if Loki and I couldn't be there for our daughters at least they had each other.

"Jane…?" Thor's sudden low, hesitant voice, pulled my attention effectively back the present. "Is that… are you?"

As I turned back to the mirror and truly paid attention to Jane I could see what had him so shocked: Jane's curved belly told its own story.

"But I thought…" I couldn't even finish the sentence, it was all so shocking.

"It is true Thor, I'm pregnant." Jane was crying in happiness right then. "And not just that… we're having a girl… our little girl…"

"Astrid…" Thor whispered, his voice almost worshipful.

Astrid… yes… we all knew the name Jane wanted to give her daughter, it had been her dream since she had been pregnant with Svein. And then David had come, and then she'd been unable to get pregnant, and the doctors had told her she wouldn't have anymore children so… how…?

"It was you, sister mine…" She told me in her most heartfelt tone. "When you healed me that day in the helicarrier…"

"But…" I didn't understand. "But I just healed what the chitauri di…"

And then I understood. I hadn't just healed that. It was easy, in a way. I'd read a lot of books on anatomy so I could memorize how things were supposed to be and look, to be better able to heal. So when I'd healed Jane I focused on how everything ought to be, I never stopped to consider that her muscles and womb might have been different because of the damage left behind after her hard pregnancy and birth.

"See?" She asked with a bright smile. "It was all thanks to you."

Before I could fully process everything I felt my feet no longer touching the ground as Thor pulled me up and began swinging me around enthusiastically (it was a good thing I didn't get dizzy or nauseous easily or the whole thing would have been pretty embarrassing).

"Thank you, sister, thank you!" He cried out in delight.

"Mommy? Daddy?" A soft voice asked.

"Daddy/Dadda!" Two voices cried out in unison right afterwards.

While I'd been distracted by Thor celebrating Jane's pregnancy Hel had gone to get the children into Jane's bedroom.

For most of the next hour we talked all together. It was mostly the children telling us about all the games they'd played together, how they were taking good care of Jane, all the stories Hel knew and would tell them, and the things they were learning… eventually the kids grew sleepy and Hel set them down on Jane's bed (it was big enough for all).

"So, are things alright now?" Jane asked seriously as soon as the kids were sleeping.

"Somewhat." Thor answered, a bit uncomfortable.

It took us a few minutes to explain to Jane and Hel everything that had happened in the last three days (because what happened in the almost six months previous wasn't really that much).

"So… Asgard is no longer after Jane and the children, and if you defeat Thanos and his chitauri in the upcoming battle, you will all become immortal." Hel summarized in the end.

"And if I manage to create an Einstein-Rosen Bridge between Earth and Asgard I will earn my own immortality." Jane added.

We all nodded.

"I'm actually more concerned about your part than hers." Hel commented to us.

"Yes, the bridge will be easy enough." Jane nodded. "Since we don't have to stay in hiding anymore I shall go see Stark tomorrow. Convince him to let me use one of his arc reactors. Then it will only be a matter of building everything."

"Remember that Tony is an engineer." I told her. "And the Parkers are scientists, they might be able to help you too."

"True." Jane nodded. "Maybe I should talk to Fury too. It's likely he will want to have a say. Of course, if he tries to hold me back I will just ignore him and build the bridge anyway."

Thor just chuckled at the ease with which his wife said that.

"So, we do this, and then we'll all be together again." Jane stated softly right then.

"Yes." We all nodded at the same time.

"Then we better get this thing down asap." She declared with conviction. "I miss you all so much… after the last ten years I never imagined we would spend this much time apart."

I nodded, I felt it as well. It wasn't only my daughter, I missed Jane and my nephews as well, and Darcy, Phil and Aunt Kathryn… and now there was Hel too!

"We will get this matter settled soon, and then not even the Allfather will be able to pull us apart again." Loki assured her.

"Rest easy, my love, we will be together again very soon." Thor assured his wife. "Then nothing will be able to make me let you go again."

"I will hold you to that promise, Thor." Jane told him in what she probably wanted to be a strong voice but came out low and heartfelt.

We'd just said our goodbyes when suddenly there was a knocking on the door. In an instant Thor and I were on guard; regardless of what might have been said during the War Council we just couldn't forget all the threats against us, Jane and the children over the previous six months… and considering that we'd been talking with Jane, Hel and the kids for over an hour… Loki just rolled his eyes at us before going for the door.

"Mother…" He called as he opened it to receive the woman standing on the other side.

The moment we laid eyes on Frigg, Thor and I relaxed, especially when confirming she was alone. She was truly the only one any of us trusted fully anymore. Even Thor, as he had revealed to us, he would always love his father, and respect him as a King, but the blonde had been made painfully aware of the fact that Odin chose to be King first and Father second…

"I hope I did not interrupt anything." She said in a soft, understanding voice.

We did not know how to answer to that.

"I know what you were doing." She clarified. "I could sense the magic in the room. However, I assure you I'm the only one who noticed, and the magic was cloaked in such a way no one would have been able to follow any trace, anyway."

Loki just nodded; he'd known, obviously, but he still liked having it confirmed. On the other point we didn't mind too much her knowing what we were doing.

"I hope you're feeling better now that you've talked to your families." Frigg commented.

"Much, mother." Thor nodded with obvious joy.

"Though we still miss them terribly." I added with a sigh.

"At least we now have hope this whole mess will be over soon and we will be back where we belong." Loki added.

"Would you not consider coming back here?" Frigg asked with sudden sadness. "This used to be our home… we used to be your family…"

"You will always be family, mother…" Loki assured her with an honest smile, and choosing not to say what he was obviously thinking regarding Odin. "But we have more family now, and friends; and their lives, as well as ours, are on Midgard, at least for the time being. If Thor and I regain our immortality and Jane, Nightingale and the children are granted theirs… maybe one day in the future we will all be able to make lives here too."

That seemed to be enough to pacify Lady Frigg, at least for the time being.

"Will you tell me about your daughter?" The Queen asked turning to Loki and I. "I've had the chance to talk to Thor some about his Jane and their boys: Svein and David… but I've never gotten a chance to ask you about your girl…"

"First, I think there are some news Thor should give you." I pointed out.

"I will be a father again, mother." Thor announced brightly. "Jane is pregnant."

"Truly?" Frigg smiled just as brightly as he. "But I thought your medics told you she couldn't have any more children…"

"And it was true then." Thor nodded. "It's a miracle!"

He kept my healing gift a secret, as he knew it was something I preferred to keep under wraps unless there was no other option. Not because there was anything wrong about it, I just liked having an ace under my sleeve (in case of an emergency). Besides, I just couldn't be sure how Asgard would react when they found out that I was capable of something like that; especially as it had already been established that my magic came from Loki, and I had none of my own…

"Have you chosen a name for her yet?" Frigg wanted to know.

"We have." Thor nodded. "Her name shall be Astrid…"

"Divine strength, beautiful goddess… a fitting name for your daughter, a future princess of Asgard." Frigg nodded her approval as she hugged him. "I'm happy for you, my son."

"Thank you mother." Thor smiled as he hugged her back. "Now my brother and his Nightingale should

really tell you more about their Rose Alfdis…"

Frigg nodded, turning back to us.

"She's a beautiful child." Loki began. "She looks very much like her mother, though her hair is redder, and her eyes are more brown. Except for when she uses her power, then they turn a red reminiscent of the eyes of my Jotun form."

"Power?" His mother inquired, we hadn't told her anything about that yet.

"Fire." I told her with a proud smile. "She can create and manipulate fire."

In fact the first part of that was something Pyro was always (mostly jokingly) complaining about (as he could control fire but not create it).

"A goddess of fire…" Frigg murmured, fascinated. "Tell me more…"

Loki and I just turned to look at each other. It wasn't that there was nothing to say about Rose; all the opposite in fact, there was so much to say… and I just couldn't find the words…

"Sing, my Nightingale…" Loki whispered as he clasped my hands in his. "You always express yourself better when you sing…"

I smiled lovingly at him before turning back to Queen Frigg, who was watching me carefully. I knew Loki, and maybe even Thor, had mentioned before that I sang; during our sham of a trial, one of the questions had been the reason for my name-change, and why exactly Nightingale, so we had explained, about the birds, and about the singing.

It took me almost a full minute before I finally found the inspiration to begin the song. It was always like that, for once I began it, the rest came on its own:

"In my daughter's eyes I am a hero,

I am strong and wise and I know no fear,

But the truth is plain to see,

She was sent to rescue me,

I see who I wanna be,

In my daughter's eyes…"

Truly. It was one thing I'd always known, and had had confirmed in the previous hour, with the way Rose looked at me through the mirror, and not just me but also Loki; the way she stared straight at us, hung onto our every word and gesture. That girl loved us, both of us, probably more than anyone had ever loved us. Up until I was twenty the greatest devotion I knew was that which Loki had for me, and I for him and then… and then Aunt Kathryn had placed that tiny, rosy creature with a tuft of burnt-red hair and big eyes the color of the most exotic jewels in my arms… and I'd learnt a whole new level of devotion, of perfect, absolute, unconditional love.

"In my daughter's eyes everyone is equal,

Darkness turns to light and the world is at peace,

This miracle God gave to me,

Gives me strength when I am weak,

I find reason to believe,

In my daughter's eyes…"

My little baby, my miracle… all the doctors that had told me I would never have children, even tried to convince me to abort her after my health declined during the second month of pregnancy. But I never gave up. I ignored their words, just like I'd ignored those of the doctors that said I would die before I reached fifteen. None of them knew Loki, my match, therefore their opinions of what was and wasn't possible when it came to me were irrelevant. In the end I was right to believe, to have faith… my baby was born, and she was perfect, just like I knew she would be.

"And when she wraps her hand around my finger,

Oh, it puts a smile in my heart,

Everything becomes a little clearer,

I realize what life is all about,

It's hanging on when your heart has had enough,

It's giving more when you feel like giving up,

I've seen the light,

It's in my daughter's eyes…"

It felt almost strange, singing that song, in that moment. I'd sung for my daughter before, many times (she loved to have me sing her to sleep) but I'd never created a song for her. Most of what I sang for her were melodies created by other people, or some of the songs I'd created for her father when I was younger. For many years Loki had been the only one I made songs about (and at first he was also the only one I sang for), he and our love… It was the first time I created a song that wasn't about him. And while a part of me felt odd at the change, the rest of me could only sense perfection, in every word, in every change of tune. Everything was absolutely perfect, because the song was about my daughter and, in my eyes, she was perfect… as perfect as she seemed to want to believe me to be. For her, I would at least try to be. For the rest of my life, for the rest of eternity, I would never stop trying to be the mother she deserved. It was all for her…

"In my daughter's eyes I can see the future,

A reflection of who I am and what will be,

And though she'll grow and someday leave,

Maybe raise a family,

When I'm gone I hope you'll see

How happy she made me,

For I'll be there,

In my daughter's eyes…"

My Daughter… no my daughters, both of them, for I love them equally as my own.

**xXx 3****rd**** Person POV xXx**

Three days later everyone in Asgard was on high-alert; as they had been since the War Council had taken place. It almost seemed that the more days that passed the more anxious some people got, rather than the other way around. Probably because they knew that, no matter how long it took, the enemy was coming. Like a human might have stated at some point: sometimes waiting for what's to come was the worst part.

Still, it was because of all the stress that the moment flashes of light began appearing at the broken end of the Rainbow Bridge everyone got on high alert. A legion of soldiers marched ready for battle, with Heimdall at the front, to receive whatever and whoever might be coming. What came out of the sudden vortex was the last any of them could have expected.

On a veranda of the palace, with a look over a good part of Asgard, a couple stood close together beside a column, observing the frantic comings and goings of the warriors a level below them with critical eyes.

"Do you think any of them will ever think about asking us about what's going on?" The petite curly-haired young woman inquired of her partner.

"Unlikely." The much taller, dark haired male beside her answered. "They believe themselves to be better than us; therefore, in their minds at least, it just isn't possible for us to know something they don't." He snorted derisively. "And even if they would consider the possibility, we are not to be trusted, so it would be a moot point anyway."

The woman just sighed and shook her head, still not quite believing just how short-sighted most Asgardians seemed to be. Truly, from all she'd met in her time there the only ones who were saved of that critique were the man by her side, his brother and mother.

Before any other comment could be made, a blonde man approximately the same height as the raven haired one but with broader shoulders, approached the couple.

"Have you any idea what seems to be the problem?" He inquired, confused by the proceedings.

"It is only a problem because they are ignorant regarding what is really going on." The man retorted with a half-smirk.

The blonde's brow furrowed as he stopped to consider the raven's words; they were a bit convoluted for him.

"In other words, there is no problem." She clarified for him. "The simple fact is that they have no idea what is going on, and rather than try and find someone who does they prefer to run around like headless chicken…"

"I believe this is not the first time you think of Aesir in such a way." Her partner commented.

"Indeed, it is not." She agreed. "I thought the same during the battle five days ago. And if this is how they react when something unexpected happens, spirits save us when the time actually comes to do battle, for they will be all be useless!"

"Now you're being overly dramatic, sister." The blonde interrupted. "And, seeing as how the proceedings amuse you so, I imagine you know what is truly going on."

"We have visitors." She announced promptly.

"The enemy is here?" The blonde was instantly on alert.

"Please!" The raven haired snorted. "If the enemy were here they wouldn't have announced themselves like that. It's likely you won't have the slightest idea they're here until the battle begins… like last time."

"You say us, which means you will know." The blonde noticed.

"Last time we got a few seconds warning… we might be just as lucky this time." The slighter male shrugged. "Not like it'll make much difference in the long run. The new arrivals on the other hand… those I hold more hope for."

"You know who has come!" The blonde exclaimed.

"But of course we do." The raven-haired snorted.

"It's quite easy." The girl told him. "You just need think about it, brother. There is no Bifrost, the Allfather sealed the Tesseract for the time being and we're the only ones who can safely use the Shadow Paths; with those options canceled there is only one way realms can be connected…"

The blonde's eyes widened abruptly as he seemed to finally realize what his siblings knew, and why they seemed to be particularly interested on the matter; however, before he could seek confirmation of his suspicions, the attention of all three was called.

"Prince Thor!" A guard called from a nearby archway. "The Allfather asks for your presence. As well as that of Lord Loki and Lady Nightingale."

It was almost childish, how the guards and servants would refer to the blonde son of Odin as Prince Thor; while 'relegating' the raven-haired and his auburn-haired wife to Lord Loki and Lady Nightingale. For it to mean anything they would have to care, and they didn't. Loki had only ever been interested in the throne when believing Thor getting it would be hazardous to the people of Asgard, he had a better understanding of ruling than his brother did. That, of course, had since changed. It had been a decade since, and a lot of things could change in that time. They had all grown, not only physically (though that too, due to the years they'd spent being mortal) but mentally and emotionally. Thor was now capable of being the King Asgard needed; however, his priorities too had changed, his wife, sons and coming daughter came first to him.

It was probably the main difference between Odin and his sons (natural and adopted one), they were Warriors (each in their own way) and knew all there was to know about ruling, and duty and honor; however, one thing was more important than all that: their family. In an exact opposite from Odin Allfather, Thor and Loki both chose to be husbands and fathers over being warriors and princes (or King). It was probably one thing Odin would never be able to understand completely, how both sons could turn out so different from him…

The Allfather spoke directly to Thor the moment the trio entered the Throne Room through a side entrance, immediately noticing the considerable number of guards present.

"Thor, my son, these foreigners claim to know you…" He stated.

"Not only him!" A female snapped at Odin. "We're here for Loki and S… Nightingale too!"

"Hey Point Break!" A male voice called animatedly to Thor.

"My friends!" Thor called loudly with a bright smile. "You've come!"

"It is our understanding you're in need of significant help." A more mature male voice stated.

"What he means to say is that Jane told us the chitauri would be attacking Asgard soon and you would be needing some help." The same female who had snapped at Odin added.

"Lady!" Fandral called in an offended voice. "We are warriors of the highest caliber."

Loki and his match just snorted.

"It brings me great joy to have you with me for this upcoming battle, my friends." Thor assured them, still in a boisterous mood. "This is a joyous development indeed!"

"Thor." Fandral almost whined as he turned to Thor. "You cannot tell me you truly believe them to be better than us."

"I would never doubt your battle prowess, my friend." Thor assured Fandral. "But these are the Warriors who've had my back in the adventures I've been involved for the last decade. They are strong, clever and experienced warriors. They might not have your centuries, but do not need them either. It brings me joy to have my friends of the past and my friends of the present both at my sides for the battle to come." He turned back to his companions. "The same, of course, as my brother and sister."

"It's good to see you're alright, Luka, Silbhé." A softer, older, male voice stated. "You had us all worried for a while."

Loki and Nightingale smiled and nodded at their friends.

"It's good to see you too, guys." Nightingale said with a smile. "I actually didn't expect Jane to be able to finish the bridge so fast…"

"You should have seen it!" A man carrying a bow and arrows called. "She appeared straight into the main floor of S.H.I.E.L.D., out of nowhere, along with a black-haired, green-eyed beauty. Went straight to Director Fury and told him Asgard was no longer after her and the children and she needed to get an Einstein-Rosen Bridge into Asgard, working, pronto."

"And she managed it, in three days?" Even Loki was impressed.

"She had all the theory ready." The second woman in the group, a redhead, stated. "Once Stark agreed to allow her to use one of his arc-reactors, with the condition that she let him help, it was just a matter of getting everything together."

"We all helped at least a bit." The youngest member of the group, in blue and red spandex added. "It was totally amazing!"

Nightingale smiled. They had told Odin that it would take no time at all for Jane to get a working bridge to Asgard… which meant she'd earned her immortality! That meant the rest of them simply couldn't disappoint.

"Oh, by the way Hawkeye, that 'green eyed beauty' you just mentioned…" Nightingale waited until she had everyone's attention before finishing. "She's Loki's daughter."

The human archer was left sputtering at that, while several others only laughed. Loki just directed a mock glare at the Avenger before turning back to the matter at hand.

"My sons, my daughter." Queen Frigg called softly to the group. "Maybe you will consider introducing your friends to us. As they refused to give us their names until you were here."

The trio actually smiled at that, all of them thinking how much that must have disgruntled the Allfather; he just hated when people didn't follow his orders immediately. That had been Loki's specialty in the past, something Nightingale had promptly joined in, then Thor (ever since choosing his brother while hanging off the edge of the Rainbow Bridge…), and now the rest of the Avengers seemed to be joining in the 'tradition'.

"Of course." Thor nodded. "My friends. Let me introduce to you the Queen of Asgard and our mother: Queen Frigg; Odin Allfather, the King of Asgard and my Father. And my old friends: Lady Sif, and the Warriors Three: Fandral, Volstagg and Hogun."

Once all the humans had nodded Thor turned to do the other introductions:

"My family and old friends, let me introduce you." He began signaling to each of the new-arrivals one by one as he introduced them: "Peter Parker is also known as Spider-Man; Harry Osborn is the Goblin; Bruce Banner aka the Hulk; Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow; Clint Barton aka Hawkeye; Tony Stark, Iron-Man; Steve Rogers, the Captain America." He stepped by the last two as he introduced them. "This is Darcy Lewis, sister in every way but blood; and her match: Phil Coulson. The two are Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the Midgardian organization which specializes in protecting the world from inhuman and superhuman dangers. The very same my brother and I have been a part of for the last decade."

Several of those presents almost snorted at Thor's description of the organization as he had all but repeated, word for word, what Fury said about S.H.I.E.L.D. to every new high-profile person that joined the group; those who joined in Level 7 or above, rather than start at the bottom, like most (which was actually the case of almost, if not actually all of them).

"And you are Midgard's most powerful warriors?" Odin asked, seemingly not convinced.

"I wouldn't categorically state we're the most powerful." Phil chose to answer that, as he was the one least offended by it. "There are many individuals who have great power, however not all of them are suited for actual combat, and even some who might have the ability may choose not to get involved in fights. Then there are those whose gifts might not translate well in a different realm." He shook his head. "In any case, we are currently the response team with the highest profile in S.H.I.E.L.D. They are called the Avengers."

"You refer to all of you as a team, then separate yourself from them." Hogun commented in an obviously intrigued tone.

"That is because Phil and I aren't actually Avengers, not officially anyway." Darcy interfered with the same brass tone she'd been using since defying Odin. "We're Agents, high ranking Agents in our own right, as well as the Avengers' liaisons/handlers. Still, we've been there for the two high-profile battles they've had thus far, and again right now. So I would say we're as good as part of the team already!"

"You're a part of the team, Darcy." Clint, Tony and Natasha assured her immediately.

"By the way." Darcy turned to Loki and his match. "Hel said she would be staying on Midgard to look after Jane, Rose and the boys. Also, Cassie and Adam wanted to come along, but in the end there were doubts of how their magic might react to a different realm, and it was decided that it might not be a good idea."

Nightingale nodded, thankful for the thought; while Loki could just stand there, shocked at the thought that a group that had fought so hard not to be noticed by any Outsiders as the 'Secret Circle' had, was willing to sacrifice their anonymity to help them, help him.

"Humans wielding magic?" Fandral sounded truly surprised by that.

"Yes, they do." Phil nodded. "That particular group seems to be some of the last ones to have survived through the changes and persecution; but they're not the only ones with special abilities. Mutants like the X-Men are the most numerous." He turned to the brothers. "Professor Xavier has all his people on high alert, in case the chitauri choose to attack Earth now that we're all here."

"It's unlikely, but a good precaution to take nonetheless." Loki nodded.

"Cassie and Diana said they would be on alert as well." Darcy added. "Also, Ward, Skye and theirs are on high-alert as the first-response team."

Which meant that S.H.I.E.L.D. had their back too, the Avengers hadn't just jumped ship. Fury had authorized their departure and taken precautions in case something happened in their absence. The Asgardians too seemed impressed when everything was explained.

"You said Hel is on Midgard?" Heimdall almost demanded. "That shouldn't be possible."

"Imbalance." Loki and Nightingale answered in tandem.

No one actually turned to look at Odin as those words were said, though everyone present knew it was his fault, so he couldn't exactly complain about how Hel had taken advantage of it.

"If we're to fight a battle in this place, could we familiarize ourselves with our surroundings?" Steve took the lead right away.

"It would be a good idea." Phil agreed immediately.

"Would you prefer maps or a tour of the surroundings?" Loki asked.

"Both would be ideal." Steve decided after a few seconds.

"If you don't require our presence further, Allfather?" Loki inquired.

Odin just signaled for them to leave.

As they were leaving, Stark's voice could be heard echoing a bit through the mostly empty halls.

"Man, if that is your father I can see why the two of you chose to stay on Earth all these years!"

**xXx**

The group was lead to the library, where they were allowed to look over several maps of Asgard. The scientists in the group were fascinated over many of the things that made Asgard so different from Earth, like the fact that Asgard was actually a flat world, like some had believed Earth to be in ancient times; the waters of the ocean truly fell off into empty space.

It took some effort to get the scientists to focus back on the matter at hand: the upcoming battle against the chitauri and, quite possibly, Thanos as well.

After the maps came a tour of the main areas of the palace and its surroundings. There the human warriors were more attentive. Hawkeye was immediately looking for vantage points where he might allocate himself and be able to get the best view; Iron-Man, Spider-Man and the Goblin mentally traced routes they might use during the fight; Banner tried to memorize the areas where the Hulk might move without causing excessive destruction; the rest just tried to familiarize themselves with their surroundings as much as possible, knowing the time to fight might come at any moment and they needed to be ready.

At sunset the Queen insisted they all had supper together. Odin didn't seem too enthusiastic, but at least Sif and the Warriors were curious about the humans.

"So, what makes you think you're any better than us?" Fandral asked abruptly.

Loki, Nightingale and even Sif and Hogun shook their heads at the blonde's words, while Thor pretty much face-palmed.

"It's not a matter of being better, or worse, than anyone else." Steve told him quiet calmly. "We are all Warriors, in our own way. We've each had very different beginnings. Some, like I, were soldiers before being an Avenger; others, like Widow and Hawkeye, were Agents, others were civilians, like Iron-Man and Goblin; or even scientists, like Hulk and Spider-Man. Regardless of our differences, or perhaps precisely because of them, we are a good team."

Fandral didn't seem to be happy with the answer, but right as he opened his mouth to speak again, Nightingale and Loki froze in place.

"Brother…? Sister…?" Thor called worriedly.

"Silbhé! Loki!" Darcy called almost at the same time.

"They're here…" Loki and his match announced in unison.

As if their words were some kind of cue, an explosion shook the palace right then.

A couple of seconds passed and the Asgardians remained unmoving, as if processing what was going on. The humans on the other hand, reacted right away.

"Avengers!" Captain America called with all his authority as he got on his feet. "Assemble!"

In seconds they were all on their feet. Tony and Harry made a move over the suitcases they'd been carrying around all day, activating their armor; Peter took off the civilian clothes he'd put on over his Spider-Man suit, Banner chose to wait and change until he was before their enemies already; the rest just checked over their weapons before joining the group.

They were walking out the door by the time the Asgardian Warriors finally stood. Odin and Frigg just watched it all in silence.

Odin stepped onto the veranda closest to the Throne Room, followed by his wife, both in full-battle regalia. From that vantage point they could watch the battle as it progressed. It was like nothing they had expected: the Asgardian army was in formation and fighting the hordes of Chitauri, being lead by the Warriors Three, Lady Sif and Heimdall; as, apparently, Thor had chosen to stand with the humans. Said humans (which, at that point included their own sons and daughter-in-law) were following no plan or strategy that either Asgardian Royal could see; instead they kept moving, weaving in and out of places and groups as they fought with an intensity the immortals had rarely seen.

"Have they no concern for their own well-being?" Frigg gasped at one point.

She'd just seen the young woman his son had called sister-in-all-but-blood spring at her own match to protect him from a shot from a chitauri, barely managing to evade the same attack herself. Both had ended up on the ground, unable to move for a few seconds, only for the alien threatening them to fall to an arrow to its face seconds later.

"It's less a lack of concern and more an abundance of trust, mother." Loki told her suddenly.

Frigg barely had a second to focus as her son appeared crouched on the railing, right on time to block several chitauri blasts shot in quick succession before counterattacking with enough force to take down at least half a dozen enemies in seconds. Then he smiled thinly at his mother once before disappearing again.

Trust… they all knew the meaning of the word, of course. And in some warriors who had fought for decades together like the Warriors Three it was easy enough to trust one another to have their backs… but the idea of mere mortals, especially a team that had been such less than a year… it baffled the mind of those who considered such a time to be next to nothing at all.

The battle lasted for at least an hour. Hawkeye was silently thankful that Loki had made sure to spell his quiver to replenish the arrows (he'd carried a pack full of dozens of them, but had had no idea how to keep them handy when the time came to fight). Captain America's shield had been spelled also, to return to him with a flick of his wrist, which was also very helpful. Bruce, after so many years being 'the Hulk' was in enough control of his transformations that he didn't cause too much collateral damage as he fought.

A moment came when most of the Avengers began taking turns to rest some. Something Fandral came close to pointing out gleefully (he was still feeling offended by the way Thor seemed to connect to them), at least until Sif ordered him to shut up and focus on the fight. Nightingale noticed what was going on soon enough and brought out a special potion she'd prepared the day before, like a mix of an energetic drink, vitamins and some healing stone powder. It helped the humans recover faster (though, eventually they would crash and need a significant amount of sleep to recover).

Also, after a while chitauri had begun trying to scale the walls of the Asgardian palace; Thor had refused to allow the magical shields that would usually protect the golden palace to come up, as there was no way they would be abandoning the rest of the realm to the chitauri's lack of mercy. Frigg had agreed, and in the end Odin hadn't insisted.

Odin and Frigg had each a blade out in that moment, using them to slay whatever chitauri managed to get onto the veranda (which wasn't that many, as Hawkeye, Iron-Man, Goblin and Spider-Man were pretty good at keeping things off-the-ground under control, for the most part). However, mistakes can be made even by the most experienced people; at some point Odin missed a block, allowing the spear of one of the chitauri to bury deep in his side, right above his hip, where his thickest armor ended.

"Odin!" Frigg screamed in horror. "Healers!"

Most would have expected her cries to be in vain; as a while before an attack from one of the chitauri had destroyed the palace's access into the veranda. And the external stairs would take them too close to the thickest of the battle. However, there were things even the Queen, with all her divine gifts, did not know.

The God of Thunder reacted automatically the moment he heard his mother screamed her husband's name. He had no idea what had happened, but the second word she screamed gave him an idea of what had happened.

"Nightingale!" Thor yelled in turn.

"I'm on my way." His youngest sister assured him as she jumped briefly to his side to cover his back from an attack before moving on.

The blonde just smiled at her attentiveness before continuing fighting.

The Asgardian Queen jumped slightly and her hand immediately went for the sword beside her, when the slight form of his youngest son's match abruptly materialized a couple of feet away from her, light feet making no sound as she landed, both hands before her and already drawing complex designs in the air. The older spellweaver didn't know what they meant until the redhead slapped the open palms of both hands against the suddenly-there semi-transparent white-gold-ish barrier: a magical shield that enveloped half of the veranda.

"I honestly hope that holds long enough." Nightingale stated after taking a deep breath. "It's my strongest shield… or at least the strongest I can do and still have enough energy for the rest."

"The rest?" Frigg didn't understand.

"You requested a healer." It was more statement than question as the young woman knelt beside the fallen King, uncaring about the blood staining her leggings.

"But you have no supplies." The Queen seemed honestly confused at that.

"I do not need them." Nightingale assured her.

For a second the Asgardian Queen just watched her mortal daughter-in-law, wondering if the girl was conscious of the implications of her own words.

"I do know what I'm saying." The redhead answered the unasked question, smiling a bit at the older woman. "Trust me, please."

No more words were said, they weren't needed; the white-gold glow that appeared on the young woman's hands the moment she laid them on the bleeding King and focused was statement enough. Still, it didn't make it any easier for either Frigg or Odin to believe: Loki's wife, his human wife, was a blessed healer!

It took several minutes, and more energy than Nightingale had expected. Since she rarely ever had to heal Thor or Loki (and never before they became mortal), she hadn't imagined how draining the whole things would be. The moment she was done she allowed her body to drop back, sitting on the floor, with her legs curled up to a side.

"Are you alright, child?" Frigg asked worriedly.

"Fine… just tired…" Nightingale admitted, taking deep breaths.

Frigg laid a hand on the young woman's cheek in an attempt to check on her, only to pull it back almost immediately in shocked concern.

"You're freezing!" The Queen exclaimed.

"That's actually not a bad thing." The younger woman assured her, half-absently gazing at her blue-skinned match fighting below them. "I used too much energy so now Loki is helping me deal with the drain. His Jotun nature causes my own body temperature to go down a few degrees when something like this happens. So, really, it's perfectly normal."

Even as she said that, the redhead drank a potion to help replenish the energies too.

"He's giving you his energy?" Frigg was in shock. "Without touching you? Even with bonds and ancient rites I'd never known something like this to be possible?"

"Loki and I were bound before we ever took the Ancient Rites." Nightingale explained briefly to her. "When I said I came close to dying before fifteen I wasn't lying, or being overdramatic. I was sick, very sick. Loki saved me… it's a long story, but the short version is that to save me we entered a co-dependant magic bond. His energy kept the sickness away, still does, actually. We've also discovered that if he's ever critically low on energy himself mine will go to him to compensate. It's how I can use his magic, actually."

Frigg didn't say a word at that, she might have not had anything to said, or just been unable to find the right words. In any case, Nightingale decided that there were more important things going on, so after warning the Queen that the shield would come down any moment, she stepped straight through it (easy to do, as it was made from her energy) and then threw herself off the veranda, teleporting mid-fall to another part to continue fighting.

Eventually the battle ended. Nightingale insisted on seeing to the healing of everyone in the Avengers personally, both because she was unsure of the way Asgardian healers would treat them for being mortal, and because the considerable destruction of the area would make it hard for any to arrive any time soon. By the time she finished with them she was almost swaying with how low she was on energy; and yet, when Volstagg and asked for her help in a low voice she didn't even consider refusing, following him immediately.

Fandral was on the floor, Sif half-sitting half-crouching by his side, keeping careful pressure on the wound on his leg, around the piece of metal still embedded in it. The redhead let out a string of curses in several languages under her breath the moment her half-asleep mind processed where exactly the injury was… the femoral artery. If they didn't act quickly Fandral was going to bleed out, and even if he didn't the metal inside his wound might kill him anyway.

"Wh… why did you bring her?" Fandral half-hissed half-groaned as he saw me.

"Perhaps because, right now, I'm your only hope of living past the next hour." I retorted, my voice drowning in sarcasm.

She wasn't someone to be too proud, nothing beyond what she truly deserved, and most of the time less than that; but Fandral had been pushing all the wrong buttons from the first time the two had met and Nightingale had about had it. Still, she wasn't about to deny anyone, even someone who annoyed her as much as Fandral did, the help they needed; it simply went against everything she believed in, everything that made her a blessed healer.

"One of you better warn my match of what's going on here…" She stated grimly, dropping to her knees on Fandral's other side. "I would recommend you talk to Thor first, so he may convince my Maverick that one of you didn't kill me."

"Aren't you being a bit overdramatic?" Sif asked with a brow raised.

"Regardless of how we go about this, I won't be conscious by the time I'm done." Nightingale said in complete honesty. "If we're lucky he will be completely out of danger by that point, so it'll be okay. Still, it won't be easy. That wound is more serious than you might think."

"The healers are coming…" Fandral hissed between teeth clenched in pain.

"They won't get here in time." The redhead practically snapped at him as she began checking the wound around Sif's unmoving hands. "Now shut up and let me do my job…"

In the last moment Nightingale pulled out the last energizing vial she had in her pocket; she had already drank several during the course of the battle, and she knew that one more would make it so she would crash for a full twenty-four hours… at least. Still, she also knew that without it her energy might not hold enough to allow her to fully heal Fandral, so it was a necessary evil. At least she would rest better knowing she'd already healed everyone else she needed to.

Thankfully, Sif chose to put her own doubts aside and reacted immediately the moment the human woman motioned for her to move her hands away. Volstagg seemed to have at least an idea of what she was planning on doing, for he immediately moved to hold Fandral down, ordering Sif to help (Hogun had gone to find Thor). With a hard wave of a hand up the broken piece of a chitauri staff was pulled out of Fandral's leg. The scream he let out in pain was enough to call the attention of several people. However, the redhead chose to ignore it all, instead laying both hands around half an inch away from the wound and concentrating. Right as Sif was about to scream herself the white-gold glow finally came, and the blood stopped pouring out.

It took no less than a minute, though to some it felt like hours. Until, suddenly, Nightingale took a deep, almost violent breath, before her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she collapsed. Right before her head could impact on the ground Fandral raised his arms almost automatically, catching her.

"Did she just… did she just heal me?" The blonde asked in shocked awe.

"It's why I asked for her help." Volstagg told him. "I saw her healing the human warriors. With no herbs and no stones…"

"But only those blessed by the Higher Powers can heal without any assistance." Sif muttered, in as much shock as Fandral. "Like Lady Eir…"

Volstagg just shrugged, it wasn't like he knew how the young woman could do what she did; or cared that much in the end, all that mattered to him was that she could help. Also, hadn't she, Loki, Thor and the humans been saying that there were people on Earth who had the ability to do amazing things? For all they knew she was like them…

Hogun got back to them right then, with Thor walking slowly behind him, unconscious brother in his arms. It was the reason why it had taken so long. The moment Thor had understood what Hogun was saying had happened to Fandral, and that his sister would help, Thor had realized not only what that would mean for her, but also for his brother, so the God of Thunder had hurried after Loki first, arriving just in time to catch him the moment the sorcerer lost consciousness and collapsed where he stood.

"What happened to him?" Sif inquired, confused.

"The exact same thing that happened to her." Thor replied vaguely, signaling to his sister. "It's a long story, can one of you help me get them to their chambers."

"Shouldn't we get them to the healers?" Volstagg inquired, honestly worried.

"Not necessary, they're just drained." Thor assured them. "It has happened before. They will sleep for a long time, then when they wake up they will be very hungry and in need to connect with nature and magic… they will be okay after a little while."

His old friends didn't understand how any of that was supposed to work, but Thor had been with them for the last decade, so it was to be expected that he would know better how to deal with episodes such as that one.

**xXx** **Loki's POV xXx **

I woke up to the lightest glow of the moon slipping through a crack in between the blowing curtains of my chambers' balcony glass doors. It took me just a second to recognize the weight on my chest and my side, but the locks of dark auburn hair lightly tickling my nose and chin couldn't be confused. Same as the warm, smooth skin, the color of strawberries and cream, that I could feel beneath my fingers. We'd been dressed down to our underclothes, which meant that a lot of our skin was touching. I was conscious of the fact that I'd changed into my Aesir form at some point, mainly because with how we were, Nightingale's skin would have been much colder had I still been Jotun. While I didn't cause her frostbite, never had, never would; her temperature still lowered to accommodate mine whenever we were in close contact while I was 'blue', the serious energy exchange/drain that we'd done had only amplified that.

I needed only to extend my free arm (for the other was wrapped beneath by match as she laid against my side, head cradled on my chest and shoulder) to reach the bottle of potion that had been left there. With our bonds I knew that me drinking it would be enough to have us both benefit from it. So I did, and then went straight back to sleep (making sure to pull the bedcovers tight against our half-naked forms to guard away the chill of the late-night).

Next time we woke up it was the morning. I could feel the warmth of my wife's breath on my chest and felt her slight body vibrate before my ears fully picked up on her humming. It was an old melody, it felt from almost a lifetime ago… all I remembered was that it was called 'Echo' and she had liked it a lot for some strange reason…

"How are you feeling?" I asked her quietly, running my fingers slowly through her shoulder-length locks. "My Nightingale…?"

"Tired, but otherwise fine, my Maverick." She answered quietly, using her own hand to run circles idly on my stomach.

"You pushed yourself past your limits, several times over." I half-chided her.

"So did you." She replied with no force behind her words.

It was the truth. She with her healing specially, and me when I'd come face to face with the leader of the chitauri… the bastard had dared try and attack my mother! I may have been mortal for half a decade, may have never truly been Aesir, or her son, and may take great pleasure in pointing out that fact, repeatedly, to my not-Father… but she would Always Be My Mother! And I would be dead before I allowed anyone to lay a finger on her!

In the end the bastard ran, like the coward he was and would always be. I was quite confident in my belief that we hadn't seen the last of it; the monster had too much of an unhealthy interest in the Tesseract; as was proved by his repeated attacks, first on Midgard, then on Asgard; especially if one considered how he kept losing soldiers… I didn't believe he had many, if any, chitauri left after the last battle… His SIC had been destroyed as well, by me in fact: in a joint effort my brother, the Man of Iron and a number of other Avengers had managed to box him in to where the Eye of Hawk hit him in the back with his last arrow, nothing extraordinary in it, but still enough to allow me to use a lethal move on him… what none of us expected was for the Other to interfere in the very last moment. Or for Thanos to care so little about his most loyal follower that the Titan would simply leave him to die and take the chance to flee. Simply: a coward.

"Is it over now?" She asked after what seemed like forever.

"It's over." I nodded.

It better be. I had been away from my daughter for longer than I ever wanted to be. It hadn't been my choice to be separated from Hel… and it hadn't actually been by my will that I'd been separated from Rose either, still didn't mean I had to like it. And I didn't, not at all. If it hadn't been because of the threat we all knew Thanos represented it was likely that I would have simply convinced Nightingale and Thor to run away; we could get Jane, the children, and disappear… only there were others, like Kathryn, and Darcy and Phil… people we wouldn't want to leave behind… it would have been complicated.

Eventually Nightingale's light caresses changed just enough to have a rather… interesting effect on me, on both of us. It had been so long of us since we'd had the chance to be intimate; first with spending all those weeks in that cell, and then the days when the tension for the upcoming battle had been simply too great to allow us to get 'in the mood'.

Later that morning we showered and dressed. While I got into my usual black-leather and green-silk attire I couldn't help but think how much more comfortable midgardian clothes were. Granted, they offered much less protection, but it wasn't like we were waging war among the humans, so it was alright as it was. I managed to convince my love to forego the set of tunic and leggings she'd been wearing in the last months for a dress I'd had mother's personal seamstress make for her: it was floor-length, what humans called goddess-style, almost the same shade of lilac as the tunics, with a pearly white sash around her waist; the slippers that went with it were white as well.

We arrived to the dining room to see everyone else gathered for lunch.

"Ah!" Darcy called attention to our presence right away. "The lovebirds are finally out of the bedroom! Good, good…"

"Not like it's been long since you and your own boytoy came out…" Stark drawled.

"Dad!" Darcy whined lowly.

We all laughed, we knew it was all in good fun as Darcy wasn't flushing or feeling embarrassed or offended at all; Phil, on the other hand seemed a bit embarrassed and had even blushed a bit, but he wasn't complaining, he knew how Darcy was, we all did. However, my match did notice something else:

"Darcy!" She practically squealed, which she never does.

My practically-sister, knew exactly what Nightingale was yelling about, for suddenly the two were hugging tightly and giggling (once again, something my wife hardly ever does…) and then I sensed the reason for the joy…

"So you're finally making it official, then?" I asked Phil with a smile.

"Yes." Phil just smiled sheepishly. "It will be just a small ceremony in Stark Tower… at his insistence, as soon as we get back."

"You are to marry?" Frigg inquired, curious about the talk.

"It's a bit more complicated than that, mother." I told her. "If they were Asgardians, they'd have been married for years by now. They've certainly made enough vows to one another in public and in private… however, they haven't yet followed certain protocols to make their union legal under the human government."

Frigg nodded, it was more complication than she was used to, but she understood that each realm had its own rules.

"You mean under your rules we're already married?" Darcy turned to Thor and then to me.

"Asgard has its own laws too, of course, its own version of your records and such." I elaborated. "But certain vows invoke higher powers, and while they're more usually seen among those of us with a connection to magic and said powers, it has been known to happen in other races too… not that there is any record of it, of course, because ever has Asgard shown little interest in such developments." I shrugged. "Still, such bonds do exist."

"You met Cassie and Adam, didn't you?" My love asked her right then. "They are soul-mates in the highest sense of the word. The silver-cord joined them since the moment they met, probably even before then, they were simply fated for each other."

No one but my Nightingale and I could actually see such magical bonds, and we knew the Circle could at least sense them to a point. However, there were always people who would comment on how two people were 'just perfect together', or 'how right they looked together', 'how perfect they were for each other'. Those were the kind of phrases that tended to signal a bond of some kind, even to people who would never know it was there.

"So, when are we leaving?" The Goblin in his human clothes asked abruptly.

The question abruptly changed the mood of everyone.

"Halloween is right." Stark agreed. "We came, we fought, we won… now we have homes to go back to, families…"

"Like Harry, I don't like leaving my family alone, not with the kind of threats we all know exist in the world… worlds." Spider-Man pointed out. "And then there's also Nathan…"

True, the Goblin's wife had been pregnant when we'd met. And there was also, of course, Jane. None of us had forgotten about her, or about Astrid…

"We're leaving today." Thor announced.

"Thor…" Odin began, in a tone that made it obvious he didn't agree with the idea.

"Son, do you really have to leave so soon?" Mother asked sadly.

"I'm sorry mother, but yes, we have to." Thor told hr softly but with conviction. "We have families to get back to. I already missed six months of Jane's pregnancy, this miracle… I need to go back to her, to Svein and David… Loki and Nightingale surely want to see Rose and Hel again, and Kathryn, and so many others…"

"They will also need to know the danger has passed." The Captain pointed out. "All who offered their help, either to protect the families or to keep guard over the population…"

"They probably know already." Nightingale informed him. "Cassie has precognitive talents, as do others, including Destiny, Mystique's own partner."

The Avengers nodded, satisfied with the answer.

"So, I suppose we'll be leaving as soon as we're finished here?" The Widow inquired as she took a very light sip of the wine offered.

"It might be better that way." I offered.

Truly, no matter how much I loved my mother, it just didn't feel right in Asgard… I didn't feel right. And by Thor's expression as he turned to me I knew he felt the same. The day might come when we would return, feel ready to call the Realm Eternal our home again; but that day was very far away. And even when our hard-earned immortality made it so we could no longer reside among mortals and had to return… it might take longer for us to feel truly comfortable walking through the golden halls of the only home we'd known for the first thousand years of our lives… we might have been away for mere moments, compared to the lifetimes we'd spent growing there, but still, somehow the last ten years of our lives held more meaning than all the centuries that preceded them. Maybe because it was until these last ten years that we truly did something of our lives… or at least that's how I felt.

No more words were spoken as we finished the meal. I could sense mother's unhappiness, though she didn't complain again, she understood our need to go back to our families, the pain of not being able to be with them… she was truly the only person I would miss once we were back in Midgard, back in our lives…

In the end, Mother insisted on having an official ceremony before we went back. It would be relatively small, though the whole Council and Court would be there. In it I would be given back my name, title and privileges, and Nightingale would be granted her own place at my side; also we would all be granted immortality, and an announcement would be made regarding Jane (even if she couldn't be present) and the children. At least everyone seemed to understand that, being pregnant, Thor's wife wouldn't be doing any interdimensional traveling.

Finally, the last announcement was one of recognition for the Midgardian Warriors, the Avengers (Darcy and Phil were officially counted as part of the team) for their bravery; naming them allies of Asgard and Heroes of the Nine Realms.

I actually got a few surprises throughout the events: like the fact that, beside some dirty looks, no one reacted negatively when I was named Prince once again; some of those present clapped for my beloved as she received the white-gold tiara designed just for her; several ladies didn't seem too happy when Jane was mentioned (though that, I'm sure, was related more to Thor than Jane herself), and everyone present seemed to celebrate the mention of children… all of the children. And, the biggest surprise of all, was the great cheering for the Avengers; which, somehow, seemed to grow even more when Phil and Darcy insisted on pulling Thor, my Nightingale and I to stand as part of the team.

Finally the ceremony was over and we all stood at the broken end of the Bifrost. The moment we got there Stark had entered a code into a number pad on the side of a small machine, which would produce the portal. It was stable enough for all of us to go through it. Also, the moment it was fully open Jane would send a box through; on one side to signal the way was clear, and on the other, the box would contain copies of all the notes and diagrams that had been used to create the Einstein-Rosen-Foster bridge; which hopefully would help Asgard reform the Bifrost.

We couldn't all go through at the same time, of course. The portal, while stable enough to travel through, didn't have enough power to bare all of us through at the same time, so we had to go one by one. Thor went first, after saying the last goodbye to Mother, her husband, as well as his friends. He made them, or at least Mother, promise to visit around the time we expected Astrid to be born, so Mother could meet all her grandchildren. While I fully supported that idea, I wasn't interested in anyone else visiting; and after what had happened on the helicarrier that day, and the sham of a trial, I was quite sure no one else, except probably Thor, would be.

The rest of the Avengers began crossing the portal, waiting each a minute or two for the one before them to pass before going themselves. Stark would be the last of them to go through, before my match and I (Stark because it was his invention, and us because if something went wrong we could just drop into the Shadow Plane and move from there).

"My son…" A voice called suddenly behind me.

"You have the wrong person here, Allfather." I stated stoically, refusing to allow him to see any emotion in regards to him. "Your son has already gone through."

I could feel the tension in my match, her arm in mine, but she followed my lead and didn't allow the Lord of Asgard to detect any reaction from her.

"My firstborn has left already, that is true." Odin agreed. "But you're as much my son as my firstborn is, Loki."

"I am not your blood, you need not concern yourself with me." I replied, still in the same tone.

*My love…* I could hear my love's whisper in the back of my mind.

She knew how much I had once cared about the Allfather, how much… how much a part of me still cared, regardless of how much I might lie, or try at least to lie to myself about it. I always cared, I probably always would, but I was just so tired of trying and getting nothing in return. Even the strongest love could fade when abandoned, like the flame in a hearth when untended. At some point I'd believed Thor to be the same; it had been a nice surprise to discover otherwise, especially in the middle of such a deadly situation. But Odin… I'd long since lost hope in him ever changing his ways. I knew my love hadn't; somehow, despite everything that had happened, everything that had gone so wrong, especially in the last six months, she still believed that one day Odin would truly see me as the son I had always been for Mother… maybe she was right, most likely she wasn't. I wasn't about to take that dream from her.

"I will always concern myself with you Loki." Odin insisted. "I know I may not be the kind of father you wanted, or needed… but I am, indeed, your father, and I will always be…"

I didn't answer to that, I simply didn't know how to. I could feel my match beside me, entwining her hand in mine, sending her feelings through our bond: her reassurance, her love, her hope…

"Well, I'm off!" Stark called to us right then. "We're running low on energy already, so I think it would be best to close this thing once I'm through and have you use your shadow-thingy."

"We shall." Nightingale called to him calmly. "We'll see you on Midgard."

Stark seemed to notice the tension between the three of us and, wisely, kept silent about it, instead simply giving a dramatic salute before spinning around and jumping into the shimmering portal, which closed exactly a minute after he went into it.

Through it all, not a word was spoken by any of us. Even Mother, standing a few feet away, seemed to be able to feel that something was about to happen. We were standing on an edge, all of us; we'd likely been standing there for a long time, and the time had come to fall over on one side, to choose and live with the consequences.

In the end I chose to approach mom, exchanging our goodbyes while my mind finished spinning. It was hard to be fully confronted with just how much I still cared about a man that had never been the Father I'd dreamt of… abruptly I couldn't help but remember something my love had said once, on the day of her father's funeral…

"_I'm crying… but I'm not crying because of him, not exactly. It's more… I'm crying for all he could have been, all we could have been together, and we never were…" _

My love had cried for what her father never was, he'd never tried… and now Odin… was he trying? Would another failure be my fault if I didn't give him the chance, if I didn't give us a chance? I did not know, and a part of me, the part that still felt like the ten-year-old child that would seek his father's hand all the time, was almost too afraid to try. Almost…

We finished our goodbyes then. Mother leaving a kiss on my brow. She didn't say anything about her husband, but her eyes said enough.

I moved to stand before my Nightingale. She was another that did not speak, but the feelings filling our bonds said even more than even mother's eyes could. It was when I held her hands in mine, preparing to drop into the Shadow Paths, that I finally decided to throw caution to the wind. With the same disregard for my own safety and blind faith that I'd allowed to fill me when I'd felt my brother's arms around me as we both fell into the darkness of the abyss…

"I hope you'll come with Mother when she decides to visit." I called, refusing to look back, or let them look at me. "Get to meet the kids… our Rose… after all, she's your granddaughter too."

"Of course, my son…" There was no special tone in his voice, but the relief was in the air.

I wasn't ready to call him father, I might never be, but I was willing to give him a chance, to give us a chance…

My Nightingale's smile was blinding and I couldn't help but return it, even as magic gathered around us and we vanished from the Rainbow Bridge.

**xXx Nightingale's POV xXx**

I blinked a few times to grow used to the light as my match and I stepped out of the Shadow Paths and into the middle of Stark's helipad at the top of his tower in New York. Then, as I fully grew used to the light of the sun in the sky I noticed something I wasn't expecting: a single sparkling tear was hanging on the edge of my love's dark lashes. I began raising a hand to touch his face, opened my mouth to call his name… but then I changed my mind. He might no longer believe that feelings were weaknesses; but the whole thing with h… the Allfather was still too fragile to risk it. I would wait until Astrid was born and Frigg and Odin dropped for a visit. Hopefully that would go alright. Maybe we wouldn't have to wait several decades before being able to see Asgard as another home…

"Mama! Papa!" A sweet little voice called right then.

In an instant I pushed aside any thoughts of Odin and Asgard, only one thing was important, and it was jumping straight at me. It was a good thing my husband was standing right behind me, he made sure Rosie and I didn't end up sprawled on the ground.

"My little rose! My precious rose!" I cried out hugging her tightly against my body and peppering her face with kisses. "How I've missed you!"

"I missed you too mama…" She whispered, holding me with all the strength in her arms before looking up and behind me. "You too papa!"

"We both missed you a lot baby girl." He assured her, kissing the top of her head. "You were a very brave girl, in our absence."

"I've been helping big sis Hel look after Auntie Jane." Rose announced proudly. "She's gonna have a little girl too!"

"We know sweety." Loki nodded. "And we know you've been very good."

"Mur… Dar…" A low, keen voice called.

I raised my head instantly, locking eyes with the dark green jades that were Hel's own. The sentiment that filled me was so strong, having my older daughter, for the first time, right in front of me, while alive… it was almost strong enough to make my legs bend. Loki seemed to notice, for he silently took Rose from my arms, pressing a hand in the small of my back. There was no push, but it wasn't necessary either, for a second later I had my arms around Hel. She was taller than me, and obviously older, but none of that mattered, for she was my daughter.

Loki and Rose pressed to us right then and in that moment, with all of us standing together, my family. I decided, life was perfect.

* * *

And that's it! The longest, most complicated, and possibly the most exhausting of all of Nightingale AUs is finished. Please, leave your reviews! Tell me what you liked, what you didn't, what you would have liked to see! It all may influence in what I do in other AUs, or even in the main plot (because, yes, there will sequels for the actual main story, at least three, that will touch the plot of Thor 2 and the AoS show.

Regarding plans for the future (aside from the sequels I just mentioned. I have another AU written already, I will begin posting in 3 weeks (I need time to get my head back on straight and to convince my muse to continue her good work, as I'm exhausted right now). I have two other AUs in the works, but my muse isn't being too cooperative right now (she insists on steering me towards X-Men rather than staying here... and I've still got so many stories to tell!)

In any case, like I said before: I will see you in three weeks with the first chapter of Bound... until then!


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